The book investigates the complex interplay between eukaryotic viral and cellular gene expression. It examines the molecular mechanisms by which viruses hijack cellular machinery and how cellular genes respond to viral infection, drawing on research presented at a symposium.

This collection of symposium proceedings likely offers a detailed, technical overview of a specific area of molecular biology research from the early 1980s. The content would appeal to researchers and advanced students in virology and genetics, providing insights into the state of knowledge at the time of publication. The authority perspective would be that of the contributing scientists presenting their findings.