vi The intent, therefore, was to provide for a fresh and original review of all relevant topics and issues in the field, following a comprehensive and coherent programme. Such an ambitious goal could only be reached thanks to the unlimited collaboration of the lecturers: They were requested to produce nothing less than "freer, broader, speculative and personal "considerations of the subjects" they had to cover ••• And so they did: their presentations unfolded a fantastic picture, a most fascinating and meaningful identification of the field, its present problems and trends. But participants at this conference contributed many valuable observations while discussing specific points. Unfortunately, more often than not, it proved impossible to identify them in the records. Accordingly, we incorporated here and there some of these "anonymous" contributions as part of the edited version of the texts. To all of the participants, I would like to express my gratitude for their actively taking part in all the scientific (and social ••• ) activities (lectures, round tables, posters, encounters) of this N.A.T.O. ASl. The result was a stimulating atmosphere, conducive to authentic scientific exchanges. Hence, the success of this meeting should be credited only to them. Finally, on behalf of all participants, I would like to thank Professor Sissini, the Mayor of Maratea, and Mr. B. Vitolo, the Chairman of its Tourist Office: their enthusiastic support greatly contributed to make of our time in their wonderful seaside resort an unforgettable one.

-- Up-to-date and in-depth analysis.

A springboard for developing new approaches to understanding, preventing, and treating picornaviral diseases. • Examines the most current breakthroughs as well as the challenges that lie ahead in picornavirus research; encapsulates current knowledge of the molecular biology, evolution, and pathogenesis of this large family of viruses; and, examines the diseases that these viruses cause and the latest vaccines and antiviral drugs to prevent and control those diseases. • Explores the structural and mechanistic bases of picornavirus replication, highlighting new insights about the host cell interactions needed for virus growth; and, illustrates how the regular occurrence of mutations, typical of viruses with RNA as genetic material, generates the quasispecies dynamics that underlie viral fitness. • Focuses on picornaviruses that cause disease, examining pathogenicity and innate and acquired immune responses against infection as well as the latest vaccine and antiviral drug strategies.

Years ago when we were asked to write a book on the present-day knowledge of the molecular biology of poliovirus, we did not expect that such an apparently simple task could involve so much time and effort. Our writing was hampered by the fact that both of us are full time "workers", so that this monograph is mainly a spare time expedience. The main attention of this book focuses on a detailed review of the molecular biology of poliovirus and especially on the advances of the last decade; medical and environmental aspects are only briefly mentioned. Observations from older studies are considered in view of more recent information. Some of the older ob servations provided fundamental insights and paved the way for present day research; too often such data has been neglected or independently rediscovered. Today, poliovirus research has again attracted considerable interest. High points gained within the last few years were the elucidation of the complete nucleotide sequences of the RNAs of the three poliovinls serotypes and the corresponding vaccine strains, the demonstration of genome evolution during transmission of poliovirus in an epidemic, further characterization of the antigenic sites on the virus particle and of the antigenic drift, characterization of alternate conforma tional states of the virion capsid, the development of monoclonal antibodies against some of the virus proteins, observations on the role of the plasma membrane, cytoskeleton, and cytoplasmic membranes as mediators in the virus induced redirection of the synthetic machinery of the host cell, and characteriza

This volume provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the most active areas in picornavirus research. Included are chapters on picornavirus receptors, translation, protein processing, RNA replication, antigenic structure, and genetics. The work described represents the fruit of technological advances in the field realized at the beginning of the 1980's, and provides an outline for future experimentation.