AUTHOR=Koma Takaaki , Le Bao Quoc , Tran Khanh Quoc , Doi Naoya , Kondo Tomoyuki , Miyakawa Kei , Adachi Akio , Nomaguchi Masako 

TITLE=The role of HIV-1 Gag and genomic RNA interactions in virion assembly

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1642090

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2025.1642090

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=The virion assembly represents a critical aspect of producing infectious progenies required for HIV-1 replication. Each step in that process, such as Gag-membrane binding, Gag-genomic RNA binding/packaging, Gag multimerization, and viral particle budding, has been extensively analyzed in a stepwise and specific manner. While Gag proteins are the primary drivers of HIV-1 virion assembly, the interactions between Gag and RNA play a significant role in regulating the process. This article provides an updated overview and perspective on HIV-1 virion assembly, with a particular focus on the role of Gag-RNA interactions.