4

Do they just pass through the membrane? Is there some specific transporter or mechanism? Does it vary?

I've seen pictures if retroviruses outside the cell but no details

D J Sims
  • 1
  • 1
  • 8

1 Answers1

2

Retroviruses, like many other enveloped viruses, exit the cell by a process called budding. The virus uses the host machinery for producing transmembrane proteins to enrich areas of the host cell membrane in viral transmembrane proteins, and co-opts a host process for releasing vesicles. You can see budding illustrated in the context of the life cycle of HIV in this figure from Murray Medical Microbiology.

enter image description here

The process has been studied in some detail in HIV and other retroviruses.

De Novo
  • 8,791
  • 1
  • 24
  • 45
  • They would have to exit the bud as well and the bud would have to accept the virus which is unlikely. – D J Sims Nov 21 '23 at 07:56