Retrovirus
From WebRef.org
Jump to navigationJump to search - an animal RNA virus that replicates itself through a DNA intermediate
Source: Jenkins, John B. 1990. Human Genetics, 2nd Edition. New York: Harper & Row - A member of a class of RNA viruses that utilizes the enzyme reverse transcriptase to reverse copy its genome into a DNA intermediate, which integrates into the hostcell chromosome. Many naturally occurring cancers of vertebrate animals are caused by retroviruses.
- A retrovirus is a virus that uses RNA as its genetic material. When a retrovirus infects a cell, it makes a DNA copy of its genome that is inserted into the DNA of the host cell. There are a variety of different retroviruses that cause human diseases such as some forms of cancer and AIDS.
