What is it?
"To date, the most effective method of introducing foreign genes into cells is through a viral vector. With this method, foreign genes enter the cell via a normal viral infection mechanism.
"The genome of a virus may consist of DNA or RNA, and may be either single- or double-stranded. When certain DNA viruses infect a cell, their DNA is inserted into the host’s genome. Once integrated, viral genes can be transcribed into mRNA, which is then translated into protein. By contrast, the genomes of simple RNA viruses are translated directly into mRNA by the enzyme RNA replicase. In retroviruses, the RNA genome is transcribed by the enzyme reverse transcriptase into DNA, which is then inserted into the host’s genome. The viral genes can then be expressed, directing the synthesis of viral RNA and proteins."
from Gene therapy using retroviruses. 2018. Khan Academy. [accesed 25 Oct 18]. https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/biological-sciences-practice/biological-sciences-practice-tut/e/gene-control---passage-1.
Keywords:
RNA
Target cell
Reverse transcriptase
Gag
Pol
Env
mRNA
Viral vector
