Interactions between small viral RNAs of vesicular stomatitis virus and components of cellular gene expression

Abstract

Recent interest in the details of virus-host interactions has come to focus on molecular contacts between cell factors and components of viruses. These generally concern protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions. In this review, protein-nucleic acid interactions involving viral transcription products and cell proteins are considered. Also examined here will be the hypothesis that such interactions have evolved because viruses have adopted cellular processes to favour their own replication and that the consequences of this co-evolution can be the disruption of the macromolecular functions of the cell, and eventual cytopathology. For its own survival in the long term, the host may evolve more refined mechanisms to evade the damage levied by the intruding virus.