[The patterns in the molecular biology of the adenoviruses (the results of a 20-year study at the Institute of Microbiology and Virology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine)]

Abstract

Scientific data of the highest importance and priority concerning regularities of structural and functional organization of proteins of adenoviruses capsids and peculiarities of expression of the virus genome are as follows: New antigen determinants of hexon and adenovirus fiber have been discovered, their different nature (conformational or linear) and different orientation, depending on the spatial organization of proteins, have been proved; localization of some epitopes has been determined with the help of synthesised antigen-active peptides, imitating them. Some regularities of structural and functional organization of adenovirus hexon have been determined on the basis of comparative analysis of antigenic specificity and primary structure of proteins being apart in taxonomic respect. The conception of immunoactivation (infectivity neutralization) of adenoviruses has been developed, and a mathematical model of this process has been first proposed, which determines the impact of antibodies to several antigenic determinants of hexon and fiber as well as interferon and complement. The unknown peculiarities of the adenovirus genome expression were studied in the dynamics of productive infection or under the effect of modified nucleosides, proteolysis inhibitors and those of different nature promising for chemotherapy of adenovirus infection. Lymphotropicity of adenoviruses was established and a model of the mixed infection of lymphocytes with adenoviruses, HIV, and Epstein-Barr virus of the herpes virus family was proposed for the first time. It was determined that the mutual interference of viruses was developed at the process of a single or successive infection and this was important to understand AIDS immunopathogenesis. Data presented substantiate the ways of creation of modern efficient preparations for diagnosis, prophylaxis and chemotherapy of adenovirus infection.