Lentivirus
Sign in to saveLentivirus is a genus of retroviruses that cause chronic and deadly diseases characterized by long incubation periods, in humans and other mammalian species. The genus includes the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. Lentiviruses are distributed worldwide, and are known to be hosted in apes, cows, goats, horses, cats, and sheep as well as several other mammals.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomViruses
- PhylumArtverviricota
- ClassRevtraviricetes
- OrderOrtervirales
- FamilyRetroviridae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
14 sectionsContents
- Classification
- Morphology
- Genome
- Replication
- Proteome
- Antigenic properties
- Epidemiology
- Physicochemical and physical properties
- Use as gene delivery vectors
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Lentivirus is a genus of retroviruses that cause chronic and deadly diseases characterized by long incubation periods, in humans and other mammalian species. The genus includes the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. Lentiviruses are distributed worldwide, and are known to be hosted in apes, cows, goats, horses, cats, and sheep as well as several other mammals.
Lentiviruses can integrate a significant amount of viral complementary DNA into the DNA of the host cell and can efficiently infect nondividing cells, so they are one of the most efficient methods of gene delivery. They can become endogenous, integrating their genome into the host germline genome, so that the virus is henceforth inherited by the host's descendants.