Main description:

The time seems ripe for a critical compendium of that segment of the biological universe we call viruses. Virology, as a science, having passed only recently through its descriptive phase of naming and num hering, has probably reached that stage at which relatively few new-truly new-viruses will be discovered. Triggered by the in tellectual probes and techniques of molecular biology, genetics, biochemical cytology, and high-resolution microscopy and spectroscopy, the field has experienced a genuine information explo sion. Few serious attempts have been made to chronicle these events. This comprehensive series, which will comprise some 6000 pages in a total of about 22 volumes, represents a commitment by a large group of active investigators to analyze, digest, and expostulate on the great mass of data relating to viruses, much of which is now amorphous and disjointed, and scattered throughout a wide literature. In this way, we hope to place the entire field in perspective, and to develop an in valuable reference a*nd sourcebook for researchers and students at all levels. This series is designed as a continuum that can be entered anywhere, but which also provides a logical progression of developing facts and integrated concepts.

Contents:

1 Structure of Viral Nucleic Acids in Situ.- 1. Viruses with Single-Stranded Nucleic Acids.- 1.1. Rodlike and Filamentous RNA-Containing Viruses.- 1.2. Filamentous DNA-Containing Phages.- 1.3. Isometric RNA-Containing Viruses.- 1.4. Isometric DNA-Containing Viruses.- 2. Viruses with Double-Stranded DNA.- 2.1. The Tertiary Structure of DNA.- 2.2. The Secondary Structure of DNA.- 3. Concluding Remarks.- 4. References.- 2 Structure of Small DNA-Containing Animal Viruses.- 1. General Principles of Virus Structure.- 2. Papilloma Viruses.- 2.1. Biology of the Viruses.- 2.2. Composition.- 2.3. Structure.- 3. SV40 and Polyoma Virus.- 3.1. Biology of the Viruses.- 3.2. Composition.- 3.3. Structure.- 3.4. Related Human Viruses.- 4. References.- 3 Pseudovirions in Animals, Plants, and Bacteria.- 1. Introduction.- 1.1. Definitions.- 1.2. Scope of the Chapter.- 2. Animal Cell Pseudovirions.- 2.1. Polyoma Pseudovirions.- 2.2. SV40 Pseudovirions.- 2.3. Other Animal Virus Systems Studied for Pseudovirions.- 3. Plant Cell Pseudovirions (Tobacco Mosaic Pseudovirions).- 3.1. Separation.- 3.2. Characterization.- 4. Bacterial Cell Pseudovirions (Generalized Transducing Phages).- 5. Orphan Pseudovirions.- 5.1. From Bacillus subtilis.- 5.2. From Bacillus licheniformis.- 6. Possible Biological Roles of Pseudovirions.- 7. Summary.- 8. References.