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Introduction to HIV-1

Announcements:

• Homework #12 is online
• Sign-up for a set of responsibilities for the Weeks 12 & 13 lab
• No flow-charts this week, but please be sure that you come prepared
• HIV reading is online at Watzek. I'll post additional figures that I use in class, as I use them.
• Outside reading on HIV to be announced--our last paper discussion will be on Mon 12/11/00

Learning objectives for Wed 11/29/00

Students should be able to…

1. Draw an HIV-1 viral particle. Label each of the viral proteins and describe its function (if applicable).
2. Describe the life cycle of HIV-1, beginning with infection of a host cell and ending with the production of new viral particles. For each stage of the life cycle, list and describe the major viral and host proteins involved.

NOTE: Today's class will be an overview of these two topics, to serve as an introduction to this unit. We'll cover both of them in considerable detail in the coming sessions, so that by the end of the unit you should be able to complete these objectives more fully.

Outline for the coming unit, on the gene products and life cycle of HIV-1

• Wed 11/29: Introduction and overview
• Fri 12/1: Viral attachment and entry into host cells, reverse transcription
• Mon 12/4: Reverse transcription, integration
• Wed 12/6: Early phase gene expression: tat and rev, switch from early to late phase
• Fri 12/8: Late phase gene expression, viral assembly, budding, protease
• Mon 12/11: discussion of outside reading

For each phase of the life cycle of HIV-1, we'll focus on the following themes:

• involvement of and interplay between viral and host factors
• potential points of intervention and drug treatment

Outside resources for studying HIV-1

The web provides one of the best sources of information on HIV and AIDS, as long as you are sure to evaluate carefully the sources of the information that you read. I am likely to refer to web-based sources throughout this unit. One of the best sites (in my opinion) is run by UCSF and is called HIV InSite. I've had trouble accessing this site recently, though, so I don't know how often you'll be able to get to it. It has a wealth of information about all aspects of HIV. Another general source of information is the AMA's HIV/AIDS information center, which provides links to other on-line sources. I'll point out other resources as they come up.

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