Role of DNA-dependent protein kinase in the HIV-1 replication cycle

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is among the best-studied viruses, but some aspects of HIV-1 biology remain obscure. The role of cell proteins in virus replication raises especially many questions. One of the proteins is DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), which performs crucially important functions in the human body. DNA-PK is known to influence at least two stages in the HIV-1 life cycle, the integration of viral genome in cell DNA and transcription of the integrated provirus. Many details regarding this influence remain unresolved. The review summarizes the known data on the DNA-PK role in the HIV-1 life cycle and its influence on the replication of other members of the family Retroviridae. In the beginning of this review there is a short explanation of the DNA-PK cellular functions that are especially important for understanding its role in the HIV-1 replication.