Some Highlights of Virus Research in 1991

Introduction. This review presents accounts of a number of advances in virology research which were published mainly in 1991. As with our similar publications for previous years, it is highly selective and to a degree reflects the authors' own interests and outlooks. The review starts with an account of a single poliovirus paper on virus production in a cell-free system, and then treats the fast moving field of genomic characterization of newer hepatitis viruses. The next three sections concentrate on virion structures, for parvovirus, adenovirus and herpesvirus. There follow accounts of viral involvement in programmed cell death, of current understanding regarding antigen processing for recognition by T lymphocytes and of viral aspects of superantigens, and finally advances in the technology of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are outlined.