Research overview: FIV genome organization and lentiviral biology

FIV shares the genomic architecture of primate lentiviruses, encoding gag, pol, and env structural and enzymatic genes alongside accessory genes that regulate replication and immune evasion. Researchers have mapped how its reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease function, how the virus integrates into host chromosomal DNA as a provirus, and how it establishes lifelong infection. Comparative work highlights both similarities to and differences from HIV-1, particularly in receptor usage and accessory gene complement. Understanding the genome has guided antiretroviral drug screening, recombinant vaccine antigen design, and molecular diagnostics. This overview surveys the field rather than a single study, summarizing how viral genetics informs clinical testing, why provirus persistence prevents cure, and why FIV remains a valued model for lentivirus molecular biology.