Ila A. Davis and BarryT. Rouse.

Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37996

Received 11/25/ 97 Accepted 11/28/97

1. ABSTRACT

In the past several years, many viral gene products have been found to encode proteins which interfere with immune defense mechanisms. Whether these interactions between virus and immune system components are actually evasion mechanisms used during viral infections in their natural hosts remains to be proven. In vitro studies do, however, reveal several tactics which may aid viral replication and dissemination by interfering with components of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. In this manuscript, we discuss the more intensively studied of these putative in vitro evasion tactics and ponder their relevance in in vivo situations.