One explanation of Nef gene behavior

The Nef (negative factor) gene of primate retroviruses may serve an important evolutionary function. Selection pressures in the natural world, may at times, demand that retroviral infection not cause disease in a newly entered host species. Genetic alterations in the Nef gene may function to permit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical hypotheses 1999-12, Vol.53 (6), p.524-525
Main Author: Powell, P.D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AIDS/HIV
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Evolution
Genes, nef
HIV - genetics
HIV - pathogenicity
HIV Infections - microbiology
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Medical sciences
Models, Genetic
Mutation
Primates
Species Specificity
Viral diseases
Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids
Virus Replication - genetics
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Summary:The Nef (negative factor) gene of primate retroviruses may serve an important evolutionary function. Selection pressures in the natural world, may at times, demand that retroviral infection not cause disease in a newly entered host species. Genetic alterations in the Nef gene may function to permit retroviral speciation by lowering retroviral replication rate. Slow viral replication may allow small numbers of the newly infected host species to avoid the effects of retroviral pathology.
ISSN:0306-9877
1532-2777
DOI:10.1054/mehy.1999.0804