Spumavirus
| Spumavirus | |
|---|---|
| Virus classification | |
| Group: | Group VI (ssRNA-RT) |
| Family: | Retroviridae |
| Subfamily: | Spumaretrovirinae |
| Genus: | Spumavirus |
| Type species | |
| Simian foamy virus | |
| Species | |
|
African green monkey simian foamy virus | |
A spumavirus (spuma, Latin for "foam") or foamyvirus is a genus of the retroviridae family. Spumaviruses are exogenous viruses that have specific morphology with prominent surface spikes. The virions contain significant amounts of double-stranded full-length DNA, and assembly is rather unusual in these viruses. Spumaviruses are unlike most enveloped viruses in that the envelope membrane is acquired by budding through the endoplasmic reticulum instead of the cytoplasmic membrane. Some spumaviruses, including the equine foamy virus (EFV), bud from the cytoplasmic membrane.
Some examples of this virus are the chimpanzee foamy virus, simian foamy virus and the human foamy virus.
While spumaviruses will form characteristic large vacuoles in their host cells while in vitro, there is no disease association in vivo.[1]
References
Further reading
- Santillana-Hayat M, Valla J et al. "Inhibition of the in vitro infectivity and cytopathic effect of human foamy virus by dideoxynucleosides". AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 1996 Oct 10; 12(15):1485-90.
External links
- NCBI: Spumavirus
- Spumavirus at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
- Viralzone: "Spumavirus"
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