The matrix shell of the HIV-1 virus may have a different shape than previously thought, and a newly proposed model has significant implications for understanding how the virus functions. New proposed structure for the HIV-1 virus has a very peculiar shape, almost like petals of a flower," said Sean Graves, instructor in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences and co-author on the study. “A better structural knowledge of the matrix shell may help us understand the fusing and infection process”.

The most obvious variable of the HIV-1 virion is its size. The HIV-1 diameter ranges from 100 to 200 nm and as a consequence, the number of matrix (MA) and capsid (CA) proteins per virion also varies. On average, it has been estimated that mature HIV-1 particles contain 2000 to 5000 MA monomers . The range in size can be affected by the preparation process for the virus, and by the number and condition of the capsid, ranging from ill-defined cores to virions containing 2 or more cores .

The matrix (MA) domain of HIV-1 Gag directs membrane binding of the Gag precursor polyprotein during the late events of virus replication. However, the effects of alteration in Gag membrane binding early post-infection are not well understood.

Careful analysis of the resulting MA trimer-derived hexameric configuration, however, reveals the geometric lack of feasibility of a hexamer-based polyhedron. The geometric limitations of this structure can be described by Euler’s formula in which the number of faces (F), vertices (V) and edges (E) of a polyhedron satisfy the equation F+V−E = 2. As a consequence, a polyhedron constructed solely of regular hexagons cannot exist.

It was recently demonstrated that HIV-1 MA trimers could form hexameric rings .The distance between the center-of-mass of adjacent trimers was 9.02 nm. Because of the nature of the experiment, the generated symmetric patterns were created on a flat surface

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play a key role in several diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, HIV-associated neurological diseases (HAND), multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, certain viral infections of the central nervous system, cancer, and hepatitis C virus. MMPs have been explained with regards to extracellular matrix remodeling, which occurs throughout life and ranges from tissue morphogenesis to wound healing in various processes.

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