The Molecules of HIV

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Note: this site last updated in 2006

gag

An article from "The Molecules of HIV" (c) Dan Stowell
www.mcld.co.uk/hiv

gag is one of the three "main" genes found in all retroviruses (along with env and pol). It contains around 1500 nucleotides, and encodes four separate proteins which form the building blocks for the viral core:

Capsid protein, CA, p24
Matrix protein, MA, p17 (this protein isn't actually part of the viral core but the "matrix" which anchors the core to the viral envelope)
Nucleocapsid protein, NC, p9
p6

The most significant role of the gag gene is therefore to encode important proteins which will make up the viral core.

(If protein names like "p17" seem weird, have a read of the page about protein naming.)

Written by
Dan Stowell
(©2002-2006)