In the modern society, infectious diseases appear to cause a serious concern. They tend to carry severe economical and healthcare burden, and continue to be responsible for an alarming situation. Infectious disease do evolve in order to become established in a given human host and gradually become responsible for a life threatening situation An early detection and implementation of hygienic protocols is essential to get protection from such conditions. In such context, the present description is concerned with highlighting about HIV virus.
Briefly, HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency virus. It is responsible for causing AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) in people worldwide. Researchers have first described AIDS as the disease capable of causing fatal opportunistic infections and malignancies in the year 1981. After few years, the causative agent, Retrovirus was isolated and was given the name as HTLV-1 III/LAV, and finally as human immunodeficiency virus type-1(HIV-1).
Since this infection is harmful, most of the individuals die within 10 years of infection even though a variation in progression period occurs from the non-symptomatic phase to fully developed AIDS. HIV infection encompasses a depletion of CD4+ cells that leads to an abnormal ratio of CD4/CD8 cells. CD4/CD8 cells represent the important class of T-lymphocytes. Apart from this quantitative aberration, CD4+ cells lose their potential to multiply when a mitogen or antigen stimulation is encountered. As a result, CD4+ cells also lose the potential to secrete lypmphokines. At the same moment, aberrant functions of NF- and B-cells could also be present in the infected individuals.
So, this mode of damage to the immune system becomes a favorable situation for the opportunistic infections such as Toxoplasma, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Candida albicans, cytomegalovirus and Pneumocystis carinii.HIV is one of the important harmful viruses and presently research focus on AIDS has increased tremendously with the goal of developing awareness of HIV life cycle.
For the purpose of better understanding the mechanism of HIV-1transcriptional activation and to develop novel drugs, it is essential to verify all the factors linked with the HIV transcription machinery.
In the transcription, multiplication and pathogenesis of HIV-1 virus, the function of HIV-1 encoded RNA-binding protein Tat is pivotal. Tat improves the enzyme. RNA polymerase II’s processivity by employing the CyclinT1/CDK9 network system to the TAR RNA region.
Additionally, Tat integrates with the histone acetyltransferase p300 and undergoes acetylation due to the action of p300 at a single lysine residue (K50) in the binding domain of TAR RNA
In Tat transactivation, Tat acetylation by p300 is a very important phase as it attempts to disturb
the Tat/TAR/CyclinT1 complex and aids in employing PCAF to the RNA polymerase II that remains in an elongating stage.
The involvement of HIV-1 transcription and the co-activators in the development of virus is a main strategy in the infection cycle of HIV.
Next, research attempts to devise a vaccine against HIV-1appear to encounter lack of awareness about the type of immune responses that offer reliable protection from HIV-1 infection and the later stage progression of the disease.
For the purpose of understanding immune mechanisms that could offer protection individuals against HIV-1 infection and disease by elevated antiviral responses, researchers have worked on
Toll-like receptor (TLR) activity and genetic polymorphisms in subjects with susceptibility differences to HIV-1 infection and progression of disease.
