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Abstract
Viruses survive often harsh host environments, yet we know little about the strategies they utilize to adapt and subsist given their limited genomic resources. We are beginning to appreciate the surprising versatility of viral genomes and how replication-competent and -defective virus variants can provide means for adaptation, immune escape and virus perpetuation. This Review summarizes current knowledge of the types of defective viral genomes generated during the replication of RNA viruses and the functions that they carry out. We highlight the universality and diversity of defective viral genomes during infections and discuss their predicted role in maintaining a fit virus population, their impact on human and animal health, and their potential to be harnessed as antiviral tools.
This Review describes recent findings on the biogenesis and the role of defective viral genomes during replication of RNA viruses and discusses their impact on viral dynamics and evolution.
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; López, Carolina B 2
1 Institut Pasteur, Viral Populations and Pathogenesis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France (GRID:grid.428999.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2353 6535)
2 University of Pennsylvania, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, USA (GRID:grid.25879.31) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8972)