Fluorescence Microscopy Assay to Measure HIV-1 Capsid Uncoating Kinetics in vitro

The stability of the HIV-1 capsid and the spatiotemporal control of its disassembly, a process called uncoating, need to be finely tuned for infection to proceed. Biochemical methods for measuring capsid lattice disassembly in bulk are unable to resolve intermediates in the uncoating reaction. We have developed a single-particle fluorescence microscopy method to follow the real-time uncoating kinetics of authentic HIV capsids in vitro. The assay...