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Updated: May 24, 2026

Determination of Molecular Structures of HIV Envelope Glycoproteins using Cryo-Electron Tomography and Automated Sub-tomogram Averaging
Published on: December 1, 2011
The structural biology of HIV-1: mechanistic and therapeutic insights
Alan Engelman1, Peter Cherepanov
1Department of Cancer Immunology and AIDS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. alan_engelman@dfci.harvard.edu
Abstract:
Three-dimensional molecular structures can provide detailed information on biological mechanisms and, for cases in which the molecular function affects human health, can significantly aid in the development of therapeutic interventions. For almost 25 years, key components of the lentivirus HIV-1, including the envelope glycoproteins, the capsid and the replication enzymes reverse transcriptase, integrase and protease, have been scrutinized to near atomic-scale resolution. Moreover, structural analyses of the interactions between viral and host cell components have yielded key insights into the mechanisms of viral entry, chromosomal integration, transcription and egress from cells. Here, we review recent advances in HIV-1 structural biology, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of viral replication and on the development of new therapeutics.
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