Integrase

Integrase is a protein produced by a virus that enables genetic material that is helpful to the virus, proviral DNA, to be integrated into the DNA of the infected cell.

HIV integrase is an 32 kDa protein produced from the C-terminal portion of the Pol gene product. The integrase protein contains three domains: an N-terminal HH-CC zinc finger domain believed to be partially responsible for multimerization, a central catalytic domain and an C-terminal DNA binding domain. Integrase is responsible for the integration of proviral DNA into the host genome, which is essential for HIV replication. Integrase, therefore, remains a promising potential target for new anti-HIV therapeutics.

See also: retrovirus