Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
retrovirus
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
HIV/AIDS; retrovirus Following retrovirus infection, reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA into proviral DNA, which is then incorporated into the DNA of the host cell in the nucleus. cancer-causing retroviruses
Discover
Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and autodidact.
6 Interesting Facts about Srinivasa Ramanujan
Stylish light blue jeans on wooden background, closeup of inset pocket
Why Do Jeans Have That Tiny Pocket?
Ice Sledge Hockey, Hockey Canada Cup, USA (left) vs Canada, 2009. UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver, BC, competition site for Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey. Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Vancouver Olympics
10 Best Hockey Players of All Time
Coriander leaves, fresh green cilantro on wooden background, herbs
Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People?
Four year old boy with grandfather and father lighting Hanukkah menorah. Photo taken on: December 21st, 2009
Which Is Correct: Hanukkah or Chanukah?
Watergate scandal. Richard M. Nixon. President Nixon gives a press conference and talks to the press, March 12, 1971.
9 American Political Scandals
Scottish fold cat. A genetic mutation caused (in the original cat-1961) the ears to bend forward and down.
Shorthair Cat Breeds
HIV/AIDS; retrovirus
HIV/AIDS; retrovirus Scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1 virions (green) budding from a cultured lymphocyte. Multiple round bumps on the cell surface represent sites of virion assembly and budding.

retrovirus

virus group
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://mainten.top/science/retrovirus
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Retroviridae
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Key People:
David Baltimore
Howard Martin Temin

retrovirus, any of a group of viruses that belong to the family Retroviridae and that characteristically carry their genetic blueprint in the form of ribonucleic acid (RNA). Retroviruses are named for an enzyme known as reverse transcriptase, which was discovered independently in 1971 by American virologists Howard Temin and David Baltimore. Reverse transcriptase transcribes RNA into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), a process that constitutes a reversal of the usual direction of cellular transcription (DNA into RNA). The action of reverse transcriptase makes it possible for genetic material from a retrovirus to become permanently incorporated into the DNA genome of an infected cell; the enzyme is widely used in the biological sciences to synthesize genes.

Following retrovirus infection, reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA into proviral DNA, which is then incorporated into the DNA of the host cell in the nucleus.
Following retrovirus infection, reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA into proviral DNA, which is then incorporated into the DNA of the host cell in the nucleus.

Retroviruses cause tumour growth and certain cancers in animals and are associated with slow infections of animals, such as equine infectious anemia. In humans, a retrovirus known as human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) causes a form of cancer called adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). It can also cause a neurodegenerative condition known as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). A closely related virus named HTLV-2 is associated with relatively mild neurological disorders but has not been identified as a causative agent of human disease. As many as 20 million people worldwide are thought to be infected with HTLVs, but only a small percentage of infected individuals actually develop ATL or HAM/TSP. The retrovirus known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans. HIV is closely related to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a retrovirus found in chimpanzees and gorillas.

So-called endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are persistent features of the genomes of many animals. ERVs consist of the genetic material of extinct, or “fossil,” viruses, the genomic constitution of which is similar to that of extant retroviruses. Human ERVs (HERVs) have become distributed within human DNA over the course of evolution. They are passed from one generation to the next and make up an estimated 1 to nearly 5 percent of the human genome. HERVs are suspected of having influenced the evolution of certain elements of the human genome. They also have been implicated in certain human diseases, including multiple sclerosis.

HTLV-1 was the first human retrovirus to be discovered, having been detected and isolated in 1979 by American virologist Robert C. Gallo and colleagues. HIV was first isolated in 1983.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.