Evolution of Foamy Viruses: The Most Ancient of All Retroviruses
Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-97312
- Recent evidence indicates that foamy viruses (FVs) are the oldest retroviruses (RVs) that we know and coevolved with their hosts for several hundred million years. This coevolution may have contributed to the non-pathogenicity of FVs, an important factor in development of foamy viral vectors in gene therapy. However, various questions on the molecular evolution of FVs remain still unanswered. The analysis of the spectrum of animal species infected by exogenous FVs or harboring endogenous FV elements in their genome is pivotal. Furthermore,Recent evidence indicates that foamy viruses (FVs) are the oldest retroviruses (RVs) that we know and coevolved with their hosts for several hundred million years. This coevolution may have contributed to the non-pathogenicity of FVs, an important factor in development of foamy viral vectors in gene therapy. However, various questions on the molecular evolution of FVs remain still unanswered. The analysis of the spectrum of animal species infected by exogenous FVs or harboring endogenous FV elements in their genome is pivotal. Furthermore, animal studies might reveal important issues, such as the identification of the FV in vivo target cells, which than require a detailed characterization, to resolve the molecular basis of the accuracy with which FVs copy their genome. The issues of the extent of FV viremia and of the nature of the virion genome (RNA vs. DNA) also need to be experimentally addressed.…
Author: | Jochen Bodem, Axel Rethwilm |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-97312 |
Document Type: | Journal article |
Faculties: | Medizinische Fakultät / Institut für Virologie und Immunbiologie |
Language: | English |
Parent Title (English): | Viruses |
Year of Completion: | 2013 |
Source: | In: Viruses (2013) 5: 10, 2349-2374, doi:10.3390/v5102349 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3390/v5102349 |
Dewey Decimal Classification: | 6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit |
Tag: | evolution; foamy viruses; genetic conservation; hepadnaviruses; recombination; retroviruses |
Release Date: | 2014/05/07 |
Collections: | Open-Access-Publikationsfonds / Förderzeitraum 2013 |
Licence (German): | CC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung |