Antiviral Activity of an Endogenous Parvoviral Element.

Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) are genomic DNA sequences derived from viruses. Some EVEs have open reading frames (ORFs) that can express proteins with physiological roles in their host. Furthermore, some EVEs exhibit a protective role against exogenous viral infection in their host.

Dynein Light-Chain Dynlrb2 Is Essential for Murine Leukemia Virus Traffic and Nuclear Entry.

Murine leukemia virus (MLV) requires the infected cell to divide to access the nucleus to integrate into the host genome. It has been determined that MLV uses the microtubule and actin network to reach the nucleus at the early stages of infection. Several studies have shown that viruses use the dynein motor protein associated with microtubules for their displacement.

Microtubule Retrograde Motors and Their Role in Retroviral Transport.

Following entry into the host cell, retroviruses generate a dsDNA copy of their genomes via reverse transcription, and this viral DNA is subsequently integrated into the chromosomal DNA of the host cell. Before integration can occur, however, retroviral DNA must be transported to the nucleus as part of a 'preintegration complex' (PIC). Transporting the PIC through the crowded environment of the cytoplasm is challenging, and retroviruses have evolved different mechanisms to accomplish this feat.

Molecular Properties and Evolutionary Origins of a Parvovirus-Derived Myosin Fusion Gene in Guinea Pigs.

Sequences derived from parvoviruses (family ) are relatively common in animal genomes, but the functional significance of these endogenous parvoviral element (EPV) sequences remains unclear. In this study, we used a combination of and molecular biological approaches to investigate a fusion gene carried by guinea pigs (genus ) that is partially derived from an EPV. This gene, named , encodes a predicted polypeptide gene product comprising a partial 9-like () gene fused to a 3' truncated, EPV-encoded replicase.