Ljubljana/glossary

Glossary

AIDS - Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in humans. The late stage of the condition leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors.

Apoptosis - is a form of programmed cell death in multicellular organisms. It is one of the main types of programmed cell death and involves an orchestrated series of biochemical events leading to a characteristic cell morphology and death.

Capsid - is the protective shell of protein that surrounds the genetic material of a virus.

CCR5 - short for chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 5. CCR5 is predominantly expressed on T cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and microglia. HIV uses CCR5 or another protein, CXCR4, as a co-receptor to enter its target cells. CCR5 is likely the most physiologically important coreceptor during natural infection.

CD4 - CD4 (cluster of differentiation 4) is a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of T helper cells, regulatory T cells, monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Like many cell surface receptors/markers, CD4 is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. CD4 is also a primary receptor used by HIV-1 to gain entry into host T cells.

CxCR4 - also called fusin, this is one of two co receptors for HIV binding to the human cell, it is embedded in the T Cell membrane. The other co receptor is CCR5.

Env - The envelope gene encodes the surface glycoprotein (SU) - transmembrane (TM) polyprotein. Env gene is located in the HIV genome.

Gag - The gag (group specific antigen) gene encodes the viral matrix (MA) capsid (CA) and nucleoproteins (NC). Gag gene is located in the HIV genome.

GFP - protein, comprised of 238 amino acids (26,9 kDa), originally isolated from the jellyfish. When GFP is exposed to blue light it fluoresces green and is therefore easy to detect on confocal microscope.

gp41 - is a glycoprotein non-covalently bound to gp120, and provides the second step by which HIV enters the cell. It is originally buried within the viral envelope, but when gp120 binds to a CD4 receptor, gp120 changes its conformation causing gp41 to become exposed, where it can assist in fusion with the host cell.

gp120 - is a glycoprotein exposed on the surface of the HIV envelope. The glycoprotein gp120 is anchored to the viral membrane through non-covalent bonds along with gp41, both coming from a cleaved protein, gp160. It infects any target cell with a CD4 receptor, particularly the helper T-cell, by binding to that receptor.

HAART - Highly Active AntiRetroviral Therapy. Treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection that uses a combination of several antiretroviral drugs. The drugs inhibit the ability of the virus to multiply in the body, and they slow down the development of AIDS.

HIV - Human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV infection leads to a progressive reduction in the number of T cells possessing CD4 receptors.

integrase - an enzyme produced by a retrovirus (including HIV) that enables its genetic material to be integrated into the DNA of the infected cell. It is also produced by viruses containing double stranded DNAs for the same purpose.

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