The Section on Viral Gene Regulation is headed by Judith G. Levin and is one of 10 independent research groups in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics in NICHD. Our work is focused on molecular mechanisms involved in the replication of HIV and other mammalian retroviruses.
The figure shows a schematic representation of the structure of the mature HIV-1 virion (courtesy of Dr. Louis E. Henderson, AIDS Vaccine Program, SAIC Frederick, Inc.). Abbreviations for viral proteins: MA, matrix; CA, capsid; NC, nucleocapsid; PR, protease; RT, reverse transcriptase; IN, integrase; SU, surface glycoprotein; TM, transmembrane. HLA I and HLA II, DR refer to host histocompatibility proteins selectively incorporated into the virion. Note the characteristic cone-shaped core.
