THE CRYPTIC LIFE-STYLE OF ADENOASSOCIATED VIRUS

Although 80-90% of adults are seropositive for antibodies against the human parvovirus adeno-associated virus (AAV), infection has not been associated with either symptoms or disease. In cell culture, AAV infec tion is not productive unless there is a coinfection with a helper vir us, either adenovirus or any type of herpes virus; in the absence of a helper virus coinfection the viral genome is integrated into the geno me, usually at a specific site on chromosome 19q13.3-qter. The integra ted genome can be activated and rescued by subsequent super infection by a helper virus. The high frequency of site-specific integration by AAV and the lack of associated disease have encouraged the use of AAV as a vector for gene therapy. This review will focus on the molecular mechanisms involved in the establishment of, and rescue from, the late nt state and their relevance to use of AAV as a vector.