CONTENTS:

Background

Overview

Adenoviruses were first discovered during two separate studies of acute respiratory infections. Rowe and colleagues (1953) and Hilleman and Werner (1954) discovered this virus group in adenoid tissue. When the viruses were shown to be related, they were named after the tissue of isolation and classified as Adenoviridae. These viruses can be divided into two genera; Aviadenovirus for avian strains and Mastadenovirus for mammalian strains. In general, these viruses will only cause minor respiratory illnesses.

Adenoviruses were the first human viruses that displayed the ability to promote oncogenesis. Trentin et al. (1962) inoculated newborn hamsters with the virus and induced malignant tumor formation. This result has not been evidenced in humans as of yet. Regardless, adenoviruses have proven to be invaluable tools in the study of oncogenesis. This virus family can induce tumors in both animals and cell cultures allowing it to act as a model system for study.

In addition to providing insight into the process of oncogenesis, this virus has proven to be a valuable tool in research. The genome of adenoviruses can be easily manipulated. Mutation analysis of this virus has increased understanding of many cellular and viral functions including gene expression, gene regulation, replication mechanisms and cell cycle control. In fact, it was in this virus that mRNA splicing was first discovered.