[Nuclear import of the genome from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1]

HIV and other lentiviruses have the ability to replicate in non-dividing cells, such as macrophages and quiescent T lymphocytes, which represent major target cells during the course of infection. After virus entry, the viral genomic RNA is reverse transcribed into a linear double-strand DNA. This viral DNA associates with viral and host cell proteins into the so-called pre-integration complex (PIC). In contrast to oncoretroviruses which require nuclear envelope disintegration during mitosis to integrate their genome into host chromosomes, lentiviruses, such as HIV, have evolved an active strategy to import their own genome through the envelope of the interphasic nucleus. In this review, we will discuss on the most recent developments reported in the literature regarding the cellular and molecular bases that govern the intra-cytoplasmic routing and the translocation of the HIV-1 genome into the nuclear compartment, two crucial steps of the viral life cycle that are still poorly understood.