Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, December 2000, p. 709-724, Vol. 64, No. 4
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake
Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
27157-1064
Many viruses interfere with host cell function in ways that are harmful or pathological. This often results in changes in cell morphology referred to as cytopathic effects. However, pathogenesis of virus infections also involves inhibition of host cell gene expression. Thus the term "cytopathogenesis," or pathogenesis at the cellular level, is meant to be broader than the term "cytopathic effects" and includes other cellular changes that contribute to viral pathogenesis in addition to those changes that are visible at the microscopic level. The goal of this review is to place recent work on the inhibition of host gene expression by RNA viruses in the context of the pathogenesis of virus infections. Three different RNA virus families, picornaviruses, influenza viruses, and rhabdoviruses, are used to illustrate common principles involved in cytopathogenesis. These examples were chosen because viral gene products responsible for inhibiting host gene expression have been identified, as have some of the molecular targets of the host. The argument is made that the role of the virus-induced inhibition of host gene expression is to inhibit the host antiviral response, such as the response to double-stranded RNA. Viral cytopathogenesis is presented as a balance between the host antiviral response and the ability of viruses to inhibit that response through the overall inhibition of host gene expression. This balance is a major determinant of viral tissue tropism in infections of intact animals.
1092-2172/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Cytopathogenesis and Inhibition of Host Gene Expression by
RNA Viruses
*
Mailing address: Department of Microbiology and
Immunology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center
Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1064. Phone: (336) 716-4237. Fax: (336) 716-9928. E-mail: dlyles{at}wfubmc.edu.
This article has been cited by other articles:
| Appl. Environ. Microbiol. | Infect. Immun. | Eukaryot. Cell |
|---|---|---|
| Mol. Cell. Biol. | J. Virol. | J. Bacteriol. |
| ALL ASM JOURNALS |