Skip to main content
Figure 1 | Genetic Vaccines and Therapy

Figure 1

From: The use of retroviral vectors for gene therapy-what are the risks? A review of retroviral pathogenesis and its relevance to retroviral vector-mediated gene delivery

Figure 1

The cis and trans genetic functions of a retrovirus. Cis sequences (shown in black) are those that are directly active as nucleic acids, they include the 5' long terminal repeat (LTR) which, in the DNA form found in the provirus acts as a transcriptional promoter, and in the RNA (genomic) form contains sequences important for reverse transcription of the genome; the primer binding site (PBS) for first strand DNA synthesis during reverse transcription; the psi (ψ) sequence which directs packaging of the genomic RNA into the virion; the polypurine tract (ppt) which is the primer binding site for second strand DNA synthesis during reverse transcription and the 3' LTR which, in the DNA form (in the provirus) acts as a polyadenylation signal, and in the RNA (genomic) form contains sequences important for the reverse transcription process. The trans functions (shown in green) are the protein coding sequences, these are the gagpol gene, which encodes the Gag and Pol polyproteins, and the env gene that encodes the viral envelope protein.

Back to article page

Genetic Vaccines and Therapy

ISSN: 1479-0556