INTERACTIONS BETWEEN POXVIRUSES AND THEIR HOSTS

Poxviruses are a family of large viruses infecting animals, whose geno me is a double-stranded DNA several hundreds kilobases in length. They are able to encode about 200 proteins, some of which are factors allo wing them to adapt unfavorable conditions created by the infected host . After a brief summary of the virus biology, the authors present the defense mechanisms used by vertebrates to eliminate Poxviruses and the specific responses developed by poxviruses themselves. The authors em phasize their demonstration on Orthopoxviruses as well as on Leporipox viruses.