The Uncoating

The Uncoating

In order to use its genetic material (RNA) for reproduction, the protective coating surrounding the RNA must be dissolved. Without this step, conversion of RNA to DNA (the building blocks of new HIV copies) can't take place, and reproduction is halted.

This is What Uncoating Looks Like

Reverse Transcription

Once in the cell, the single stranded RNA of the HIV must be converted to the double stranded DNA. It accomplishes this with the help of the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Reverse transcriptase uses building blocks from the T-cell to help change the HIV RNA to DNA. The DNA contains the genetic information needed for HIV reproduction.

This is What Reverse Transcriptase Looks Like

Drugs called reverse transcriptase inhibitors block HIV's reverse transcriptase from using these building blocks. Nucleoside and nucleotide analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and contain faulty imitations of the proteins found in a T-cell's cytoplasm. Instead of incorporating a protein into the growing chain of DNA, the imitation building blocks in NRTIs are inserted, which prevents the double strand of DNA from becoming fully formed.Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors block reverse transcription by attaching to the enzyme in a way that prevents it from functioning.