Monday, August 16, 2010

Do viruses incorporate into particular part of host cell's genome?

Viruses, when incorporated into the host cell's genome, prevent transcription %26 translation of their own genes. Wouldn't this prevent transcription of the host cell's genes as well, unless if the virus incorporated into a particular part of the host's genome, or there was some specific regulation that only prevented the virus from being transcribed/translated? What is this mechanism?



Do viruses incorporate into particular part of host cell's genome?anti virus software



I'm a little bit confused by your question:



''Viruses, when incorporated into the host cell's genome, prevent transcription %26 translation of their own genes'' This is not true. Viruses when incorporated into a hosts genome usually cause rapid transcription of their own genes, because of the usually powerful viral promoters.



Indeed, this is one of the three major ways viruses induce cancer; because they can be integrated genetically upstream of growth promoting onco-genes.



But no, as far as I know, Viruses that do incorporate into hosts genomes (which is, of course, the minority of human viruses), do not insert in any particular place, and do so randomly.



Unless you're talk about the lysogenic cycle, where inserted viral DNA 'chooses' not to replicate, such as in Herpes. As far as I am aware, no one knows what allows herpes to become reactive after it's stasis.

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