Ann Taylor/HIV Protease

[[Human Immunodeficiency Virus]] (HIV) is the cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV directs the synthesis of several polyproteins, which each consist of several tandemly linked proteins. The maturation of the virus to its infectious form requires that these polyproteins be cleaved to their component proteins. <scene name='User:David_Canner/Sandbox_HIV/Opening/2'>HIV-1 protease</scene>, a homodimeric enzyme, is responsible for doing so and is therefore crucial to the virus's infectious capacity.<br />

HIV exists in two types '''HIV-1''' and '''HIV-2'''. HIV-2 infects ca. 30% of AIDS patients vs. 70% infected by HIV-1<ref>PMID:22238126</ref>.<br />

The X-ray structure of HIV-1 protease<ref>PMID:2548279</ref><ref>PMID:2682266</ref> reveals that it is composed of <scene name='User:David_Canner/Sandbox_HIV/Identical_subunits/1'>two symmetrically related subunits</scene>, each consisting of 99 amino acid residues. The subunits come together in such as way as to <scene name='User:David_Canner/Sandbox_HIV/Tunnel/1'>form a tunnel where they meet</scene>. This tunnel is of critical importance because the active site of the protease is located in its interior. The active site consists of <scene name='User:David_Canner/Sandbox_HIV/Catalytic_triad/3'> two Asp-Thr-Gly conserved sequences</scene>, making it a member of the aspartyl protease family. The two Asp's are <scene name='User:David_Canner/Sandbox_HIV/Catalytic_asp/1'>essential catalytic residues</scene> either interact with the incoming water OR protonate the carbonyl to make the carbon more electrophilic for the incoming <scene name='31/315240/Saquinavir_cat_water/2'>water</scene>. You may be wondering how a polyprotein makes its way into the active-site tunnel, as the<scene name='User:David_Canner/Sandbox_HIV/Narrow_tunnel/1'> tunnel appears to be too narrow </scene> to admit it. The key is the two flexible flaps on the top of the tunnel that <scene name='User:David_Canner/Sandbox_HIV/Hiv_tunnel_morph/3'>move to allow proteins </scene>to enter the tunnel. The flaps <scene name='User:David_Canner/Sandbox_HIV/Hiv_tunnel_morph_flaps/2'>undergo a dramatic movement</scene>, shifting from an open to a closed conformation to bind the target in an appropriate conformation for cleavage. This is more clearly seen at [[Flaps Morph for HIV Protease]].