Ebook: Genetic Diversity of RNA Viruses

Many RNA viruses have been known for decades to be genetically and biologically quite variable. Some well-known examples are influenza viruses, foot and mouth disease viruses, and Newcastle disease virus. During the past decade, it has become clear that most, it not all. , RNA viruses (riboviruses and retroviruses) are much more mutable than was recognized previously, and that this great mutability generates extremely complex populations consisting of indeterminate mixtures of related variants (Le. , "mutant swarms" or "quasispecies" populations). This is also true of DNA viruses (such as hepatitis DNA genomes via RNA transcripts B virus) which replicate their that are reverse-transcribed back to DNA. This hypermutability of RNA replicons provides great biological adaptability for RNA virus genomes. It also allows (but does not necessitate) RNA viruses, so that they can extremely rapid evolution of evolve over a million times more quickly than their eukaryotic DNA-based hosts. The genetics of RNA replicons is so unusual (and often counterintuitive) that it has many important biological conse­ quences which are neither readily apparent nor widely under­ stood. Failure to understand the distinctive aspects of RNA genetics frequently generates confusion and controversy and can adversely impact vaccine and antiviral drug programs and other applications of medical virology. The 14 chapters in this volume describe advances in a number of significant areas of RNA virus genetics and evolution.

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The high mutation frequencies, population heterogeneity and rapid evolution potential of RNA viruses make them a prime object for investigation by virologists, immunologists and molecular biologists. This high level of interest is evident in this volume, which contains 14 concise and timely reviews of various areas of RNA virology. Standard RNA viruses (riboviruses) and retroviruses are reviewed, and facts and principles of their diversity and evolution are discussed. RNA virus mutation, population structure and rapid evolution (or paradoxical stasis) are examined in detail for a number of different RNA viruses. The problems created by the unusual genetics of RNA viruses are discussed: AIDS pathogenesis, antigenic change and vaccine problems, resistance to antiviraldrugs and origins of influenza outbreaks.

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The high mutation frequencies, population heterogeneity and rapid evolution potential of RNA viruses make them a prime object for investigation by virologists, immunologists and molecular biologists. This high level of interest is evident in this volume, which contains 14 concise and timely reviews of various areas of RNA virology. Standard RNA viruses (riboviruses) and retroviruses are reviewed, and facts and principles of their diversity and evolution are discussed. RNA virus mutation, population structure and rapid evolution (or paradoxical stasis) are examined in detail for a number of different RNA viruses. The problems created by the unusual genetics of RNA viruses are discussed: AIDS pathogenesis, antigenic change and vaccine problems, resistance to antiviraldrugs and origins of influenza outbreaks.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-IX
RNA Virus Populations as Quasispecies....Pages 1-20
Genetic Recombination in RNA Viruses....Pages 21-32
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Populations Are Quasispecies....Pages 33-47
Genetic Diversity and Rapid Evolution of Poliovirus in Human Hosts....Pages 49-61
Mutations and A/I Hypermutations in Measles Virus Persistent Infections....Pages 63-74
Evolutionary Processes in Influenza Viruses: Divergence, Rapid Evolution, and Stasis....Pages 75-97
Genetic Diversity and Slow Rates of Evolution in New World Alphaviruses....Pages 99-117
Emergence and Transmission of Influenza A Viruses Resistant to Amantadine and Rimantadine....Pages 119-130
Selection of Zidovudine-Resistant Variants of Human Immunodeficiency Virus by Therapy....Pages 131-142
Genetic Diversity and Evolution of Retroviruses....Pages 143-164
Retroviral Reverse Transcriptases: Error Frequencies and Mutagenesis....Pages 165-180
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Quasispecies In Vivo and Ex Vivo....Pages 181-193
Tracing the Origin of Retroviruses....Pages 195-211
Replication and Evolution of Viroid-Like Pathogens....Pages 213-219
Back Matter....Pages 221-228

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The high mutation frequencies, population heterogeneity and rapid evolution potential of RNA viruses make them a prime object for investigation by virologists, immunologists and molecular biologists. This high level of interest is evident in this volume, which contains 14 concise and timely reviews of various areas of RNA virology. Standard RNA viruses (riboviruses) and retroviruses are reviewed, and facts and principles of their diversity and evolution are discussed. RNA virus mutation, population structure and rapid evolution (or paradoxical stasis) are examined in detail for a number of different RNA viruses. The problems created by the unusual genetics of RNA viruses are discussed: AIDS pathogenesis, antigenic change and vaccine problems, resistance to antiviraldrugs and origins of influenza outbreaks.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-IX
RNA Virus Populations as Quasispecies....Pages 1-20
Genetic Recombination in RNA Viruses....Pages 21-32
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Populations Are Quasispecies....Pages 33-47
Genetic Diversity and Rapid Evolution of Poliovirus in Human Hosts....Pages 49-61
Mutations and A/I Hypermutations in Measles Virus Persistent Infections....Pages 63-74
Evolutionary Processes in Influenza Viruses: Divergence, Rapid Evolution, and Stasis....Pages 75-97
Genetic Diversity and Slow Rates of Evolution in New World Alphaviruses....Pages 99-117
Emergence and Transmission of Influenza A Viruses Resistant to Amantadine and Rimantadine....Pages 119-130
Selection of Zidovudine-Resistant Variants of Human Immunodeficiency Virus by Therapy....Pages 131-142
Genetic Diversity and Evolution of Retroviruses....Pages 143-164
Retroviral Reverse Transcriptases: Error Frequencies and Mutagenesis....Pages 165-180
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Quasispecies In Vivo and Ex Vivo....Pages 181-193
Tracing the Origin of Retroviruses....Pages 195-211
Replication and Evolution of Viroid-Like Pathogens....Pages 213-219
Back Matter....Pages 221-228
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