Structure and Replication of Minute Virus of Mice DNA

Minute virus of mice (MVM) is a member of the Parvoviridae, a family of viral agents that contain linear, single-stranded DNA genomes of only 1.2 × 106 daltons to 2.2 × 106 daltons (Berns and Hauswirth 1978). Parvoviruses that infect vertebrate hosts are divided into two subgroups on the basis of their requirement for helper viruses. Members of the adeno-associated-virus (AAV) subgroup are defective and entirely dependent on adenovirus (Atchison et al. 1965) or herpes simplex virus (Buller et al. 1981) coinfection for their replication; they also package equal numbers of plus and minus strands of DNA in separate virions (Berns and Hauswirth 1978). In contrast, members of the Parvovirus genus, to which MVM belongs, are capable of productive replication without the aid of a helper virus, and they normally package a unique (V or minus) strand of viral DNA. Replication of the autonomous parvoviruses is, however, dependent on cellular...