All articles tagged with #virology
Researchers have identified a new bacterial antiviral defense system called DRT10 that uses a mechanism strikingly similar to eukaryotic telomerase. This system employs reverse transcriptases and non-coding RNA to synthesize repetitive DNA, offering a novel strategy for bacteria to combat viral infections.
Researchers have identified BC200, a human gene that uniquely combines a stable cellular function in neurons with the ability to move and insert itself into other genomes. Published in Science, the study reveals that BC200 has jumped into the molluscum contagiosum virus and appears in diseased cells, challenging the assumption that functional genes lose their mobility.
Researchers discovered that BC200, a human gene active in neurons, retains the ability to move and has inserted itself into the molluscum contagiosum virus. Published in Science, this finding challenges the assumption that genes with cellular functions lose their mobility.
The AlphaFold Protein Structure Database has added over 8,000 predicted structures for viral protein dimers, covering 23 virus families that infect humans. This expansion, part of a new pandemic preparedness portal, aims to provide researchers with 3D models of viral interactions to accelerate drug and vaccine development. The initiative involved global collaborations, including Nvidia and Google DeepMind, and addresses a previous gap in the database where viral proteins were often poorly represented due to complex genetic sequences.
Nearly half of the human genome consists of transposons, mobile DNA sequences often dismissed as junk or viral parasites. However, recent research indicates these elements are crucial partners in evolution. They drive rapid adaptation, such as the color change in peppered moths, and may have facilitated the development of complex traits like the placenta and immune system. Furthermore, the need to suppress transposons likely led to the evolution of epigenetic controls that regulate gene expression across the entire genome.
Viruses often disappear from human populations after an outbreak but persist in animal hosts, only to re-emerge later. Identifying these hidden animal reservoirs is critical for preventing future spillovers, yet scientists often lack the data to pinpoint where these viruses lurk. This gap in knowledge hampers efforts to stop the cycle of emergence and re-emergence.
Researchers extracted ancient DNA from medieval parchments and Bronze Age sheep teeth, revealing that the sheep pox virus has infected livestock for 3,700 years. The study, published in Science Advances, recovered 21 viral genomes, showing the virus's long-term genetic stability and its divergence from related diseases during the early Bronze Age.
Chinese researchers have identified a new tick-borne virus, Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV), which may explain unexplained cases of severe illness resembling SFTS. While ALTNV alone causes mild symptoms and full recovery, co-infection with Dabie bandavirus (DBV) leads to severe complications and high mortality. The virus is primarily carried by the Asian longhorned tick, which is present in the US but has not yet been linked to human cases there.
Researchers have successfully observed the real-time self-assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs), a long-standing goal in virology. Published in Nature, the study by Asor et al. utilizes advanced techniques to track the kinetics and energetics of protein shell formation. This breakthrough allows scientists to analyze how identical protein blocks interact to form stable, rigid structures that can later disassemble to release viral genomes. The findings provide a detailed molecular view of the assembly process, moving beyond static snapshots to dynamic observation.
Researchers have identified VIPR, a gene-targeting defense system found in viruses that appears to be over four billion years old. Published in Science, the findings suggest VIPR is the evolutionary ancestor of CRISPR and may offer even greater editing power.
Researchers have achieved the first real-time, molecular-level observation of virus-like particle (VLP) self-assembly by combining mass photometry with single-molecule trapping. The study demonstrates that assembly is driven by weak, reversible interactions that stochastically select specific topological intermediates, resolving a decades-long gap in understanding viral capsid dynamics.
New research published in Annals of Neurology suggests that exosomes, microscopic particles circulating in the blood, may cause the persistent pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia. The study found that exosomes from patients with this condition carry proteins that suppress neuron growth and keep pain-sensing nerves in an overactive state, preventing them from repairing after a shingles infection. While current treatments often fail to provide relief, targeting these exosomes could offer a new therapeutic pathway for the 10% to 18% of shingles patients who develop long-term neuropathic pain.
Chinese researchers have identified a new tick-borne virus, Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV), which causes flu-like symptoms, low platelet counts, and liver inflammation. Found in 10.4% of 3,163 tick-bite patients, ALTNV is genetically distinct from the related Dabie bandavirus (DBV). While ALTNV alone was not linked to death, co-infection with DBV resulted in severe respiratory and kidney complications, with a 18.4% mortality rate among those co-infected cases. The findings highlight the need for better diagnostic tools in regions where tick-borne fevers are endemic.
Researchers at University College Dublin extracted sheeppox virus DNA from medieval manuscripts and Bronze Age sheep teeth, reconstructing the pathogen’s evolution over 3,500 years. Published in Science Advances, the study identifies 21 ancient genomes, revealing that the virus diverged from other capripoxviruses between 11,500 and 3,700 years ago, coinciding with animal domestication. The findings suggest medieval parchment preserves biological records of livestock disease, offering insights into viral stability and historical outbreaks across Eurasia.
Researchers at University College Dublin have reconstructed the evolutionary history of the sheeppox virus over 3,700 years by extracting DNA from medieval parchment and Bronze Age sheep teeth. Published in Science Advances, the study identifies 21 ancient viral genomes, revealing that the virus diverged from related capripoxviruses between 11,500 and 3,700 years ago. The findings suggest that medieval manuscripts serve as biological archives of livestock disease, with viral traces found in famous texts like the York Gospels and the Corpus Glossary. The research highlights the virus's genetic stability over millennia and its continued impact on modern livestock, such as recent outbreaks in Greece.