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BioEssays 11∕2015
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.201570111
Subject(s) - integrase , chromatin , biology , genetics , insert (composites) , computational biology , cover (algebra) , computer science , dna , engineering , mechanical engineering
Where to insert? Demeulemeester et al. take a look the multistep process of retroviral integration and at the biases that are introduced at each step (see pages 1202–1214 ). The cover shows the first stage: viral entry into the cell and transfer of the viral DNA towards the host genome. This is either achieved by traversing the nuclear pore complex or during mitosis when the nuclear envelope is disassembled. In the next step, host cofactors steer the viral preintegration complex to specific chromatin environments. Subsequently, the viral integrase determines the precise insertion site. As the insertion site affects gene expression in the host, integration site choice may be part of the evolutionary strategies used by different retroviruses to maximize reproductive success.