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From Proteopedia
HIV-1 protease
HIV-1 Protease is a viral aspartic protease that responsible for maturation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
HIV-1 protease cleaves an HIV precursor protein, which is glycoprotein (GP) 160 into gp41 and gp120. Gp120 protrudes from the surface of HIV and binds to CD4+ T cells and gp41 embedded in the outer envelope help gp120 bind CD4+ T cells, and they both play a role in HIV's infection of CD4+ T cells. Therefore, HIV-1 protease make the virus have the ability to infect new cells by the cleave process. In other words, HIV-1 protease is responsible for maturation of the virion by cleaving proteins into their mature form.
Because the cleave step results in infectious viral particles, Drugs called protease inhibitors can interfere with this step of the viral life cycle and further prevent HIV infection progressing. Thus, many drug designs or much pharmaceutical research conduct by understanding the structure of HIV-1 protease active site and by inhibition of its activity disrupts HIV’s ability to replicate and infect additional cells.
