Maneuvering for advantage: the genetics of mouse susceptibility to virus infection

Abstract

Genetic studies of host susceptibility to infection contribute to our understanding of an organism's response to pathogens at the immunological, cellular, and molecular levels. In this review we describe how the study of host genetics in mouse models has helped our understanding of host defense mechanisms against viral infection, and how this knowledge can be extended to human infections. We focus especially on the innate mechanisms that function as the host's first line of defense against infection. We also discuss the main issues that confront this field, as well as its future.

Retroviral Elements and Their Hosts: Insertional Mutagenesis in the Mouse Germ Line

“…Finally, a variety of gene products, some derived from domesticated viral genes, function at various stages of the retroviral life cycle to curtail both exogenous retroviruses and ERVs and have been extensively reviewed recently [ 61 – 64 ] ( Table 2 ). Some particularly relevant examples include Fv1, the Ref/Lv1 family of proteins, APOBEC3G, and Nxf1.…”