Mechanism and Kinetics of HIV-1 Protease Activation

The HIV-1 protease is a critical enzyme for viral replication. Because protease activity is necessary to generate mature infectious virions, it is a primary target of antiretroviral treatment. Here, we provide an overview of the mechanisms regulating protease activation and the methods available to assess protease activity. Finally, we will highlight some of the key discoveries regarding the kinetics of protease activation from the last decade, including how the manipulation of activation kinetics may provide novel HIV-1 treatment strategies.