Replication

DNA Replication from RNA

  • Once the capsid and p24 and p17 have been stripped away, an enzyme complex known as reverse transcriptase is released.
  • One of the enzymes in this complex is DNA polymerase. It synthesizes a single-stranded DNA copy using one of the HIV-RNA molecules as a template.
  • Another enzyme in this complex, called ribonuclease, then destroys the original RNA molecules while the DNA polymerase synthesizes another single-stranded DNA molecule, this time using the first DNA copy as the template.
  • The result is a double-stranded DNA molecule.

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