Molecular dynamic simulation studies of the South African HIV-1 Integrase subtype C protein to understand the structural impact of naturally occurring polymorphisms
Loading...
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Western Cape
Abstract
The viral Integrase (IN) protein is an essential enzyme of all known retroviruses, including HIV-1. It is responsible for the insertion of viral DNA into the human genome. It is known that HIV-1 is highly diverse with a high mutation rate as evidenced by the presence of a large number of subtypes and even strains that have become resistant to antiretroviral drugs. It remains inconclusive what effect this diversity in the form of naturally occurring polymorphisms/variants exert on IN in terms of its function, structure and susceptibility to IN inhibitory antiretroviral drugs. South Africa is home to the largest HIV-1 infected population, with (group M) subtype C being the most prevalent subtype. An investigation into IN is therefore pertinent, even more so with the introduction of the IN strand-transfer inhibitor (INSTI) Dolutegravir (DTG).
Description
>Magister Scientiae - MSc
Keywords
HIV-1, South Africa, Integrase subtype C, Protein, Antiretroviral drugs