Structure of Retroviral Particles as a Tool for Designing HIV Inhibitors

Abstract

This article describes basic principles of retroviral shell architecture and the approaches to its studies. Elucidation of the retrovirus particle structure, both in immature and mature forms, is essential for designing compounds that could block interactions at interfaces of viral proteins, which are critical for formation and stability of the particle. Detailed understanding of HIV structure could thus be a significant tool in the search for novel types of HIV inhibitors targeted on the assembly or maturation of this virus.