期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1989
卷号：86
期号：22
页码：8964-8967
DOI：10.1073/pnas.86.22.8964
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Infectious retrovirus particles consist of a core structure containing RNA and gag-pol polypeptides surrounded by a lipid membrane studded with env proteins. A recombinant vaccinia virus was designed to express the entire gag-pol precursor protein of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Synthesis and processing of gag proteins occurred in mammalian cells infected with this live recombinant virus, and reverse transcriptase was detected largely in the medium. Electron micrographs revealed immature retrovirus-like particles budding from the plasma membrane and extracellular particles with morphological characteristics of immature and mature human immunodeficiency virus. The latter contained functional reverse transcriptase as well as processed p24 and p17 gag polypeptides. Thus, assembly and maturation of human immunodeficiency virus-like particles can occur in the absence of either infectious RNA molecules or env proteins. The production of noninfectious virus-like particles by expression vectors should be useful for biochemical studies and could provide a safe source of material for the development of vaccines.
