MARV

Marburg virus (MARV) is an enveloped, negative-sense RNA filovirus whose genome encodes seven proteins and causes severe, frequently fatal human disease^[1][2]. Mechanistically, the MARV genome supports replication to generate progeny genomes and transcription to produce mRNAs, while VP30 enables transcription reinitiation at the GP gene and supports GP and downstream gene expression^[3][4]. In disease models, MARV pathogenesis links uncontrolled virus replication with suppression of host type I interferon responses; VP40 inhibits interferon signaling through Jak1 antagonism and contributes to assembly and budding^[5][6]. Compared with Ebola virus and other filoviruses, MARV shows distinct replication and transcription properties, including differences in nucleocapsid formation, genomic replication promoter structure, transcription protein requirements, and mRNA editing^[4]. For experimental applications, MARV reverse genetics systems based on minigenomes, infectious virus-like particles, and full-length clones support replication-cycle studies, host-response analysis, infection imaging, and antiviral screening^[7]. Cell-based high-throughput screening of VP40 interferon-antagonist function identified azaguanine-8, which inhibited MARV growth at noncytotoxic concentrations^[8].