Understanding the molecular mechanisms of retroviral assembly has been a decades-long endeavor.With the recent discovery of inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) acting as an assembly Slow Cookers co-factor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), great strides have been made in retroviral research.In this review, the enzymatic pathways to synthesize and metabolize inositol phosphates (IPs) relevant to retroviral assembly are discussed.
The functions of these Left Crank Arm enzymes and IPs are outlined in the context of the cellular biology important for retroviruses.Lastly, the recent advances in understanding the role of IPs in retroviral biology are surveyed.