One family of viruses is responsible for the infection of many species of vertebrates. These are the retroviruses whose genomic RNA is used to support genetic information and ensures many essential functions that are required for the formation of an infectious viral particle. These functions depend on structures formed by the folding of the genomic RNA. Structures and Functions of Retroviral RNAs describes the formation of these structures and their specific interactions with nucleic acids and proteins. In light of recent advances in molecular virology, it provides an understanding of the various facets of the retroviral genome. It emphasizes in particular that the study of the structure–function relationship of retroviral RNAs is a driving force behind increased research into HIV-1, the main causal agent of AIDS. Indeed, one of the challenges of pharmacology lies in the exploitation of several targets which allow us to anticipate and stem the emergence of resistance to anti-HIV drugs. The book also presents structures and interactions that may be potential future targets in this regard.

Foamy viruses, currently referred to as spumaretroviruses, are the most ancient retroviruses as evidenced by traces of viral sequences dispersed in all vertebrate classes from fish to mammals. Additionally, infectious foamy viruses circulate in a variety of mammalian species including simian, bovine, equine, caprine, and feline. Foamy viruses have many unique features which led to the division of the retrovirus family into two subfamilies, the Orthoretrovirinae and Spumaretrovirinae. In vitro, foamy viruses have a broad host range and in vivo, human infections have been described due to cross-species transmission from infected nonhuman primates. Thus far, there are no reports of virus-induced disease in humans or in the natural host species. These unique properties of foamy viruses have led researchers to develop foamy viruses as gene therapy vectors to study virus-virus and virus-host interactions for identifying factors involved in virus replication, transmission, and immune regulation that could influence potential clinical outcomes in humans as well as for using endogenous foamy virus sequences in the analysis of host species evolution.

For over 25 years the study of retroviruses has underpinned much of what is known about information transfer in cells and the genetic and biochemical mechanisms that underlie cell growth and cancer induction. Emergent diseases such as AIDS and adult T-cell lymphoma have widened even further the community of investigators directly concerned with retroviruses, a development that has highlighted the need for an integrated understanding of their biology and their unique association with host genomes. This remarkable volume satisfies that need. Written by a group of the field's most distinguished investigators, rigorously edited to provide a seamless narrative, and elegantly designed for clarity and readability, this book is an instant classic that demands attention from scientists and physicians studying retroviruses and the disorders in which they play a role.

Among the first diseases for which a viral etiology was esta- blished were tumors, lymphomas, and sarcomas in chickens, shown by Ellermann and Bang (1908) and Rous (1910) to be transmissible with cell-free filtrates. The broad significance of these discoveries was not fully recognized at first, mainly because chickens were perceived as too distanly related to humans to provide useful and relevant models for human disease. Change came slowly. In 1936 Bittner found that a viral agent is involved in the causation of mammary cancer in mice, and in 1957 Gross discovered the first murine leukemia virus. In the years following numerous tumor-inducing viruses, infecting all classes of verte- brates, were isolated. The decisive impulse for the development of the RNA tumor virus field sprang from advances in cell culture. In 1958 Temin and Rubin, following initial observations of Manaker and Groupe, worked out the conditions for virus-induced tumori- genic transformation in cell culture and made this transform- ation the basis for a quantitative assay of viral infectivity and oncogenicity. The genetic and cell biological studies that grew out of Rubin's and Temin's groundwork quickly brought into focus two puzzling problems: a requirement for DNA synthesis early in the lifecycle of the RNA tumor viruses, and the existence of genetic information in the virus that is needed for oncogenesis but not for virus reproduction.

The Subcellular Biochemistry series has recently embarked upon an almost encyclopaedic coverage of topics relating to the structure and function of macromolecular complexes (Volumes 82, 83 and 87). The present multi-author text covers numerous aspects of current research into molecular virology, with emphasis upon viral protein and nucleoprotein structure and function. Structural data from cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography is displayed throughout the book. The 17 chapters in the book cover diverse interesting topics, all currently under investigation, contributed by authors who are active actively involved in present-day research. Whilst structural aspects predominate, there is much consideration of the structure-function relationship. In addition, the book correlates with and extends from Volume 68 of the series “Structure and Physics of Viruses: An Integrated Textbook”. This book is directed primarily at professionals that work in the broad field of Structural Biology and will be of particular interest to Structural Virologists. The editors, David Bhella and Robin Harris, have much experience in virology and protein structure, respectively. Dr Bhella is Director of the Scottish Macromolecular Imaging Centre. Professor Robin Harris is the long-standing Series Editor of the Subcellular Biochemistry series. He has edited and contributed to several books in the series.

This book comprehensively covers the mechanisms of action and inhibitor design for HIV-1 integrase. It serves as a resource for scientists facing challenging drug design issues and researchers in antiviral drug discovery. Despite numerous review articles and isolated book chapters dealing with HIV-1 integrase, there has not been a single source for those working to devise anti-AIDS drugs against this promising target. But this book fills that gap and offers a valuable introduction to the field for the interdisciplinary scientists who will need to work together to design drugs that target HIV-1 integrase.