Poxvirus use a "gene accordion" to tune out host defenses.
A multistep process of gene amplification, mutation, and reduction allows poxvirus to overcome host antiviral defenses. The mechanism speeds genetic adaptation and promises to be broadly applicable in many biological settings.
Department of Microbiology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA. jrroth@ucdavis.edu
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