Which of the following is typical of the latent stage of HIV infection?

• A. Proviral DNA is attached to cellular DNA.
• B. Large numbers of viral particles are synthesized.
• C. A large amount of viral RNA is synthesized.
• D. Viral particles with no envelope are produced.

Answer: (A)

During latency, HIV persists by integrating its genome into the host cell’s DNA, forming proviral DNA that remains in the genome for long periods. This integrated provirus can stay transcriptionally silent or produce only tiny amounts of viral RNA and proteins, so there isn’t a big burst of virus production. That integration into host DNA is the defining feature of the latent state. In contrast, producing large numbers of viral particles, or large amounts of viral RNA, reflects active replication, and generating envelopeless viral particles would indicate defective or non-typical virions—not latency.