lecture 36 Flashcards
(7 cards)
1
Q
what is HIV/AIDS?
A
- HIV = lentivirus that causes AIDS
- occurs through bodily fluids
- causes failure of immune system
2
Q
what does proximate and ultimate mean?
A
proximate = mechanism for change
ultimate = cause of change
3
Q
how does reverse transcription work for HIV?
A
- Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that turns RNA
sequence back into DNA - HIV genome is RNA, but is turned into DNA to insert in the genome
- Reverse Transcription is more error prone than DNA
replication so lots of variants formed
4
Q
what selects for or against HIV variants?
A
- The immune system
- Drug regimen
- Changes in the receptor
- Tropism in tissues
5
Q
how can you test if HIV is evolving?
A
- What happens if you change the selective pressure?
- Do viruses evolve differently if you put a patient on antiretroviral drugs?
6
Q
HIV variants are caused by…
A
evolution
7
Q
what does evolution of HIV mean?
A
- Patients don’t have a virus, they have a vast armada of viral
variants - Resistance to therapy, even complex therapy, arises rapidly
- Making effective vaccines is incredibly hard
