Morphogenesis and Maturation of Retroviruses

Retroviruses arguably belong to the most fascinating of all viruses because of their unusual and highly efficient mode of replication involving reverse transcription and integration of the viral genome and a complex system of transcriptional and post transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. The importance of ret roviruses as human and animal pathogens has also enhanced scientific and medical interest in this diverse group of viruses and has spurred an intensive search for novel and improved antiviral agents. More recently, analysis of retroviral replication and in particular understanding the formation and composition of the virus particle has received additional attention because of the promise of retroviral vectors as vehicles for human somatic gene therapy. Many recent advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing as sembly and release of infectious retrovirus particles. This book attempts to summarize these recent developments and to provide an overview of our current knowledge on retrovirus particle formation. The individual chapters of the book deal with specific steps in the pathway of retroviral morphogenesis and maturation, starting at the time when the components of the virus have been synthesized within the infected cell and ending once the infectious virion has been released from the cell. An introductory chapter provides a comparative description of the structure and morphology of various retroviruses.

Klappentext

This volume is concerned with the individual steps in the pathway of retrovirus morphogenesis and maturation starting at the point where the components of the virion have been synthesized within the infected cell and ending once the infectious virion has been released from this cell. An introductory chapter provides a comparative description of the structure and morphology of infectious viruses. A novel feature is the organization according to individual steps in the pathway of virus particle formation rather than according to individual viruses or virus groups as has been done in most previous reviews. This novel concept should allow a comparative discussion of the similarities and differences within this complex virus family regarding the specific aspects of formation of an infectious virion.

Zusammenfassung
"The authors of this exemplary volume provide the most up-to-date review of their subject...The writing is precise and dynamic, supported by judiciously chosen illustrations...a wonderful contribution to a rapidly moving field. It will be enjoyed by students and teachers alike and will serve as a precious source of reference for even the most seasoned of researchers." Trends in Microbiology

Inhalt
List of Contents.- Comparative Morphology and Structural Classification of Retroviruses.- Intracellular Transport of Retroviral Capsid Components.- Dynamic Interactions of the Gag Polyprotein.- Proteolytic Processing and Particle Maturation.- Maturation and Assembly of Retroviral Glycoproteins.- RNA Packaging.- Role of Auxiliary Proteins in Retroviral Morphogenesis.- Use of Heterologous Expression Systems to Study Retroviral Morphogenesis.- Morphogenesis at the Retrotransposon-Retrovirus Interface: Gypsy and Copia Families in Yeast and Drosophila.- Hepatitis B Virus Morphogenesis.