Cytoplasmic viral replication complexes.
Many viruses that replicate in the cytoplasm compartmentalize their genome replication and transcription in organelle-like structures that enhance replication efficiency and protection from host defenses. In particular, recent studies with diverse positive-strand RNA viruses have further elucidated the ultrastructure of membrane-bound RNA replication complexes and how these complexes function in close coordination with virion assembly and budding. The structure, function, and assembly of some positive-strand RNA virus replication complexes have parallels and potential evolutionary links with the replicative cores of double-strand RNA virus and retrovirus virions and more general similarities with the replication factories of cytoplasmic DNA viruses.
den Boon
Johan A
JA
Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Diaz
Arturo
A
Ahlquist
Paul
P
D000818:Animals; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D014771:Virion / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D018406:Virus Physiological Phenomena; D014779:Virus Replication; D014780:Viruses / Q000235:genetics