MUROMEGALOVIRUS Meaning and
Definition
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Muromegalovirus (MuV) is a genus of viruses belonging to the Herpesviridae family. It is a double-stranded DNA virus that primarily infects rodents, particularly the house mouse (Mus musculus). The name "Muromegalovirus" is derived from "Muro," which refers to the mouse host, and "megalo," meaning large, indicative of the virus's propensity to cause splenomegaly or enlarged spleen in its host.
Muromegalovirus is considered an essential research tool in studying viral pathogenesis and host-virus interactions due to its similarities with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Both viruses share a high degree of genetic similarity and exhibit similar replication strategies, making Muromegalovirus an invaluable model for understanding HCMV biology.
Infection with Muromegalovirus generally does not result in overt symptoms in immunocompetent mice. However, immunodeficient mice, such as those lacking T cells, may develop severe disease, including hepatitis, interstitial pneumonia, and even death. Moreover, Muromegalovirus-induced splenomegaly and the associated immune response have been extensively studied in mice, revealing insights into immune regulation, lymphoproliferation, and immune exhaustion.
Due to its genomic similarities to HCMV, Muromegalovirus studies have helped advance our knowledge of HCMV pathogenesis and immunology, aiding in the development of potential antiviral therapeutics and vaccines directed against this human pathogen. Thus, Muromegalovirus serves as an essential model system in virology and biomedical research.
Common Misspellings for MUROMEGALOVIRUS
- nuromegalovirus
- kuromegalovirus
- juromegalovirus
- myromegalovirus
- mhromegalovirus
- mjromegalovirus
- miromegalovirus
- m8romegalovirus
- m7romegalovirus
- mueomegalovirus
- mudomegalovirus
- mufomegalovirus
- mutomegalovirus
- mu5omegalovirus
- mu4omegalovirus
- murimegalovirus
- murkmegalovirus
- murlmegalovirus
- murpmegalovirus
- mur0megalovirus
Etymology of MUROMEGALOVIRUS
The word "Muromegalovirus" is a combination of two main components:
1. "Mur-" is derived from "Muridae", which is a taxonomic family that includes rodents. This prefix is commonly used in the names of viruses that infect rodents.
2. "-omegalovirus" is derived from "cytomegalovirus", which is a genus of viruses that belong to the Herpesviridae family. Cytomegalovirus is known for causing a condition called cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.
So, when these two components are combined, "Muromegalovirus" refers to a genus of viruses that infect rodents, similar to cytomegaloviruses.
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