Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
3.3
Journals
Pathogens
Special Issues
Retroviruses: Molecular Biology, Immunology and Pathogenesis
share announcement

Retroviruses: Molecular Biology, Immunology and Pathogenesis

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 6023

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Christophe Guillon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, MMSB-IBCP, UMR 5086, CNRS, University of Lyon, 7 Passage du Vercors, CEDEX 07, 69367 Lyon, France
Interests: retrovirology; structural virology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infections by retroviruses constitute a major health issue in humans, with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) being the etiological agent of AIDS, and Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus type 1 causing adult T-cell leukemia or a neurodegenerative disease named HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis.

Retroviral infections are also a major veterinary problem as they induce various pathologies in a wide range of domestic and wild animals, from poultry, cats, cattle and horses to lions, monkeys and koalas.

It is interesting to note that some exogenous infections can lead to the permanent insertion of retroviral elements in the genome of the infected species. These endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are estimated to represent 1 to 5 percent of the human genome. They have influenced the evolution of some species, and their activation can also be linked to several diseases.

This wide variety of retroviral species and their associated pathogenicity involves specific replication strategies, regulatory mechanisms, virus–host interactions and/or escape from host restriction factors or from the host’s immune system. New understandings of these different aspects have recently been obtained with the development of new imaging and analysis techniques.

This Special Issue of Pathogens aims to bring together articles or reviews dealing with the most recent developments of all aspects of the research on human and animal retroviruses, from molecular and structural biology or recent -omics analysis, to virus–cell interactions, immunology and disease development, control or therapy in infected individuals. This will provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the mechanisms underlying retroviral infections, replication, activation, host–virus interactions, and pathogenicity.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Christophe Guillon
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • retroviruses
  • retroviral infections
  • viral replication
  • host-virus interactions
  • molecular and structural biology
  • virus-cell interactions
  • immunology
  • therapy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 4389 KiB  
Article
First Complete Genome of Reticuloendotheliosis Virus in a Mallard Duck from Brazil: Phylogenetic Insights and Evolutionary Analysis
by Ruy D. Chacón, Claudete S. Astolfi-Ferreira, Stefhany Valdeiglesias Ichillumpa, Henrique Lage Hagemann, Maristela Furlan Rocha, Larissa Fernandes Magalhães, Tânia Freitas Raso and Antonio J. Piantino Ferreira
Pathogens 2025, 14(2), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14020189 - 13 Feb 2025
Viewed by 840
Abstract
Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) is an oncogenic retrovirus that affects both commercial and free-ranging birds. To date, only two complete REV genome sequences have been identified in chickens from South America, with no records in other avian species. This study reports the first complete [...] Read more.
Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) is an oncogenic retrovirus that affects both commercial and free-ranging birds. To date, only two complete REV genome sequences have been identified in chickens from South America, with no records in other avian species. This study reports the first complete genome of REV detected in a mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) in South America. In 2021, a mallard duck in Brazil died from severe lymphoproliferative disease affecting multiple organs. Molecular detection and histopathological analysis confirmed REV as the causative agent. Using dideoxy sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, the virus was classified as subtype 3 (REV-3). The phylogenetic analysis identified three clades, each with a bootstrap value of 100, corresponding to the three REV subtypes. Furthermore, a comprehensive comparative genomic analysis revealed two distinct REV-3 subclusters—‘East’ (38 strains) and ‘West’ (24 strains)—with notable geographical associations. Additionally, 27 genomes in chimeric states with fowlpox virus (FWPV) were distributed across the phylogenetic tree, emphasizing the critical role of FWPV in the dissemination of REV. Selective pressure analysis revealed evidence of positive selection acting on several codons within the gag, pol, and env genes, particularly in domains such as matrix, p18, reverse transcriptase/ribonuclease H, and surface. These findings provide valuable insights into REV evolution and underscore the importance of genomic surveillance for detecting REV circulation in diverse hosts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Retroviruses: Molecular Biology, Immunology and Pathogenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 1732 KiB  
Review
The Proviral Reservoirs of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection
by Andrey I. Murzin, Kirill A. Elfimov and Natalia M. Gashnikova
Pathogens 2025, 14(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14010015 - 30 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1590
Abstract
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) proviral reservoirs are cells that harbor integrated HIV proviral DNA within their nuclear genomes. These cells form a heterogeneous group, represented by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), tissue-resident lymphoid and monocytic cells, and glial cells of the central nervous [...] Read more.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) proviral reservoirs are cells that harbor integrated HIV proviral DNA within their nuclear genomes. These cells form a heterogeneous group, represented by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), tissue-resident lymphoid and monocytic cells, and glial cells of the central nervous system. The importance of studying the properties of proviral reservoirs is connected with the inaccessibility of integrated HIV proviral DNA for modern anti-retroviral therapies (ARTs) that block virus reproduction. If treatment is not effective enough or is interrupted, the proviral reservoir can reactivate. Early initiation of ART improves the prognosis of the course of HIV infection, which is explained by the reduction in the proviral reservoir pool observed in the early stages of the disease. Different HIV subtypes present differences in the number of latent reservoirs, as determined by structural and functional differences. Unique signatures of patients with HIV, such as elite controllers, have control over viral replication and can be said to have achieved a functional cure for HIV infection. Uncovering the causes of this phenomenon will bring humanity closer to curing HIV infection, potential approaches to which include stem cell transplantation, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/cas9, “Shock and kill”, “Block and lock”, and the application of broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Retroviruses: Molecular Biology, Immunology and Pathogenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 7670 KiB  
Review
“It’s Only a Model”: When Protein Structure Predictions Need Experimental Validation, the Case of the HTLV-1 Tax Protein
by Christophe Guillon, Xavier Robert and Patrice Gouet
Pathogens 2024, 13(3), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13030241 - 8 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3018
Abstract
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a human retrovirus responsible for leukaemia in 5 to 10% of infected individuals. Among the viral proteins, Tax has been described as directly involved in virus-induced leukemogenesis. Tax is therefore an interesting therapeutic target. However, [...] Read more.
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a human retrovirus responsible for leukaemia in 5 to 10% of infected individuals. Among the viral proteins, Tax has been described as directly involved in virus-induced leukemogenesis. Tax is therefore an interesting therapeutic target. However, its 3D structure is still unknown and this hampers the development of drug-design-based therapeutic strategies. Several algorithms are available that can be used to predict the structure of proteins, particularly with the recent appearance of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven pipelines. Here, we review how the structure of Tax is predicted by several algorithms using distinct modelling strategies. We discuss the consequences for the understanding of Tax structure/function relationship, and more generally for the use of structure models for modular and/or flexible proteins, which are frequent in retroviruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Retroviruses: Molecular Biology, Immunology and Pathogenesis)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop