In fact, HDV is less than a virus, in that it needs help from HBV to carry out a cycle of replication.
HDV research offers several unique and tantalizing problems in cell and molecular biology.
The prime example is that the RNA genome is able to redirect a host polymerase to the HDV RNA template. Recent Publications Chang, J., Sigal, L.J., Lerro, A., and Taylor J. Replication of the genome of human hepatitis delta virus is initiated in mouse hepatocytes following intravenous injection of naked DNA or RNA sequences. Gudima, S., and Taylor, J. Search for antisense copies of beta-globin mRNA in anaemic mouse spleen. Chang, J., Moraleda, G., and Taylor, J. Limitations to the replication of hepatitis delta virus in avian cells. Moraleda, G., Dingle, K., Biswas, P., Chang, J., Zuccola, H., Hogle, J., and Taylor, J. Interactions between the hepatitis delta virus proteins.