The other day I learned that a friend’s relative had recently succumbed to Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD). He told me that he had been diagnosed with the ‘infectious’ form of the disease. What does this mean? CJD is one of several neurological diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). These diseases are characterized by progressive mental …
One of the most widely used continuous cell lines for virology is the HeLa cell line, which was derived in 1951 from Henrietta Lacks. What is the origin of this amazing cell line? In early 1951, Ms. Lacks, a 31-year old mother of five children, was found to have a malignant tumor of the cervix. …
On This Week in Virology #19, Vincent and Alan discuss cap-snatching by the hantavirus N protein and the influenza virus endonuclease, HIV-1 and Ebola virus antagonism of tetherin, and influenza pneumonia. Of course, they also name their picks of the week for science blog, science podcast, and science book. Click the arrow above to play, or …
Influenza virus undergoes continuous antigenic variation, necessitating production of a new vaccine each year. This is not a trivial task. Six to nine months before the flu season begins, the viral strains for inclusion in the vaccine must be selected. High-yielding recombinant strains are produced and grown in embryonated chicken eggs. This year, approximately 140 …
In “Hantavirus protein replaces eIF4F” we discussed how the binding of hantavirus N protein to the 5′-cap structure on mRNA replaces the translation complex eIF4F. A second research group has revealed yet another function for this interaction: the N protein sequesters mRNA caps in P bodies, for subsequent use during the initiation of viral mRNA …
No, not yet. But the recent identification of human occludin as a cell protein required for entry of hepatitis C virus into mouse cells is a huge step in the right direction. Small animal models for virus infection are of great value for studying viral pathogenesis, testing new vaccines, and developing antiviral drugs. However, mice …
