Retrovirus

Retrovirus

A Retrovirus is a type of RNA virus that inserts a copy of its genome into the DNA of a host cell that it invades, thus changing the genome of that cell. Such viruses are classified as Group VI in the Baltimore classification system for viruses. Retroviruses are enveloped viruses that belong to the viral family Retroviridae.

Structure

The typical retrovirus is composed of two copies of positive single-stranded RNA that carries the genetic information of the virus. The RNA is tightly bound to the nucleocapsid protein, genome dimerization, and specific viral proteins that have been packaged during virus assembly.

Replication

Retroviruses are unique among viruses for their replication process, which involves the reverse transcription of the viral RNA into DNA by the enzyme reverse transcriptase, followed by integration of the resulting DNA into the host cell genome via the enzyme integrase.

Types of Retroviruses

There are several types of retroviruses, including Human T-cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Diseases

Retroviruses can cause severe diseases in humans, such as AIDS, which is caused by HIV. Other diseases caused by retroviruses include Adult T-cell Leukemia (ATL) and Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL), both of which are caused by HTLV.

See also

• Virus classification
• Viral replication
• Viral diseases

References

Retrovirus Resources
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