Adenovirus replication

Adenoviruses cause a wide range of human infections, from mild to severe, depending on the immunological status of the host. Adenoviruses have been used for many years as a model system to study virus-host interactions. Numerous seminal discoveries in virology and cell biology have been made studying different aspects of the Adenovirus life cycle. The expression of the viral genome is divided into early and late phases demarcated by the onset of viral DNA replication. Early proteins are involved in viral DNA replication and also regulate a variety of cellular metabolic processes as well as host antiviral defense mechanisms. Late proteins are structural components of the viral capsid or are involved in virus assembly. With Adenoviruses being used in a wide range of clinical contexts as gene therapy vectors, there continues to be significant interest in understanding all aspects of the Adenovirus life cycle.