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Each human somatic cell contains 6 billion base-pairs of DNA. Each base-pair is 0.34 nm long, which means that each diploid cell contains a staggering 2 meters of DNA. How is such a long DNA strand packed inside a nucleus measuring only 10 - 20 microns in diameter? 
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays
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Amplifying and Quantifying HIV-1 RNA in HIV Infected Individuals with Viral Loads Below the Limit of Detection by Standard Clinical Assays

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RNA Packaging in HIV.

Alan Rein1

  • 1HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702-1201, USA.

Trends in Microbiology
|May 16, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) packages its genomic RNA (vRNA) using a packaging signal (ψ). This signal efficiently nucleates virus assembly, ensuring high-fidelity packaging over cellular mRNAs.

Keywords:
HIVRNAretrovirusesvirus assembly

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Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication depends on the precise packaging of its genomic RNA (vRNA).
  • Cellular messenger RNAs (mRNAs) can be inadvertently packaged into HIV particles.
  • Viral RNA (vRNA) possesses a packaging signal (ψ) essential for dimerization and incorporation into new virions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism of selective viral RNA packaging in HIV.
  • To understand the role of the ψ packaging signal in vRNA selection.
  • To investigate how HIV distinguishes its own RNA from cellular RNAs for packaging.

Main Methods:

  • Structural analysis of dimeric ψ.
  • Investigation of Gag protein interactions with ψ.
  • Comparative analysis of assembly nucleation efficiency between vRNA and cellular RNAs.

Main Results:

  • The ψ packaging signal exists in two conformations, with only one supporting dimerization and packaging.
  • The Gag protein, crucial for virus assembly, specifically interacts with ψ.
  • The packaging signal (ψ) on vRNA demonstrates higher efficiency in nucleating viral assembly compared to other RNAs.

Conclusions:

  • The ψ packaging signal's ability to nucleate assembly is the primary mechanism for selective vRNA packaging in HIV.
  • Understanding ψ's role is critical for developing antiviral strategies targeting viral assembly.
  • The structural and functional properties of ψ dictate the fidelity of HIV genomic RNA packaging.