Editing HIV (section)

====Assembly and release====
[[File:HIV on macrophage.png|thumb|right|HIV assembling on the [[Cell membrane|surface]] of an infected [[macrophage]]. The HIV virions have been marked with a green [[fluorescent tag]] and then viewed under a fluorescent microscope.]]
The final step of the viral cycle, assembly of new HIV-1 virions, begins at the [[plasma membrane]] of the host cell. The Env polyprotein (gp160) goes through the [[endoplasmic reticulum]] and is transported to the [[Golgi apparatus]] where it is [[Bond cleavage|cleaved]] by [[furin]] resulting in the two HIV envelope glycoproteins, [[gp41]] and [[gp120]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hallenberger S, Bosch V, Angliker H, Shaw E, Klenk HD, Garten W | title = Inhibition of furin-mediated cleavage activation of HIV-1 glycoprotein gp160 | journal = Nature | volume = 360 | issue = 6402 | pages = 358–61 | date = November 26, 1992 | pmid = 1360148 | doi = 10.1038/360358a0 | bibcode = 1992Natur.360..358H | s2cid = 4306605 }}</ref> These are transported to the plasma membrane of the host cell where gp41 anchors gp120 to the membrane of the infected cell. The Gag (p55) and Gag-Pol (p160) polyproteins also associate with the inner surface of the plasma membrane along with the HIV genomic RNA as the forming virion begins to bud from the host cell. The budded virion is still immature as the [[Group-specific antigen|gag]] polyproteins still need to be cleaved into the actual matrix, capsid and nucleocapsid proteins. This cleavage is mediated by the packaged viral protease and can be inhibited by antiretroviral drugs of the [[Protease inhibitor (pharmacology)|protease inhibitor]] class. The various structural components then assemble to produce a mature HIV virion.<ref name=Gelderblom>{{cite book | author= Gelderblom HR | year = 1997 | title = HIV sequence compendium | chapter = Fine structure of HIV and SIV |chapter-url=http://www.hiv.lanl.gov/content/sequence/HIV/COMPENDIUM/1997/partIII/Gelderblom.pdf | editor = Los Alamos National Laboratory | pages = 31–44 | publisher = [[Los Alamos National Laboratory]] }}</ref> Only mature virions are then able to infect another cell.