Virology: independent virus development outside a host

Autor: Monika, Häring, Gisle, Vestergaard, Reinhard, Rachel, Lanming, Chen, Roger A, Garrett, David, Prangishvili
Rok vydání: 2005
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nature. 436(7054)
ISSN: 1476-4687
Popis: Viruses are thought to be functionally inactive once they are outside and independent of their host cell. Here we describe an exceptional property of a newly discovered virus that infects a hyperthermophilic archaeon growing in acidic hot springs: the lemon-shaped viral particle develops a very long tail at each of its pointed ends after being released from its host cell. The process occurs only at the temperature of the host's habitat (75-90 degrees C) and it does not require the presence of the host cell, an exogenous energy source or any cofactors. This host-independent morphological development may be a strategy for viral survival in an environment that is unusually harsh and has limited host availability.
Databáze: OpenAIRE