Reinventing positive-strand RNA virus reverse genetics.
Adv Virus Res
; 112: 1-29, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1763516
ABSTRACT
Reverse genetics is the prospective analysis of how genotype determines phenotype. In a typical experiment, a researcher alters a viral genome, then observes the phenotypic outcome. Among RNA viruses, this approach was first applied to positive-strand RNA viruses in the mid-1970s and over nearly 50 years has become a powerful and widely used approach for dissecting the mechanisms of viral replication and pathogenesis. During this time the global health importance of two virus groups, flaviviruses (genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae) and betacoronaviruses (genus Betacoronavirus, subfamily Orthocoronavirinae, family Coronaviridae), have dramatically increased, yet these viruses have genomes that are technically challenging to manipulate. As a result, several new techniques have been developed to overcome these challenges. Here I briefly review key historical aspects of positive-strand RNA virus reverse genetics, describe some recent reverse genetic innovations, particularly as applied to flaviviruses and coronaviruses, and discuss their benefits and limitations within the larger context of rigorous genetic analysis.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
RNA Viruses
/
Flavivirus
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Language:
English
Journal:
Adv Virus Res
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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