A provirus is a form of a virus, particularly retroviruses like HIV, that integrates its genetic material into the host cell's DNA, using reverse transcriptase and integrase to convert its RNA genome into DNA and embed it within the host genome. This integrated viral DNA can remain latent for long periods, affecting the host cell's gene expression, cell cycle regulation, immune evasion, and potential reactivation, ultimately influencing disease progression and treatment outcomes.

Question

A provirus is a form of a virus, particularly retroviruses like HIV, that integrates its genetic material into the host cell's DNA, using reverse transcriptase and integrase to convert its RNA genome into DNA and embed it within the host genome. This integrated viral DNA can remain latent for long periods, affecting the host cell's gene expression, cell cycle regulation, immune evasion, and potential reactivation, ultimately influencing disease progression and treatment outcomes.
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GPT-4o mini · Answer

A provirus is a type of virus, especially seen in retroviruses like HIV, that puts its genetic material into the DNA of a host cell. The virus uses some special tools called reverse transcriptase and integrase to change its RNA (the virus's genetic code) into DNA and then hides it inside the host's DNA. This viral DNA can stay hidden for a long time, which can change how the host cell works, like how it grows, how it fights off infections, and if the virus can wake up again. All of this can affect how sick a person gets and how well treatments work.