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Viral infections of the enteric nervous system and intestinal dysmotility

2 Comments / Basic virology, Information / By Vincent Racaniello

Intestinal dysmotility disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome affect 10-30% of humans in Western countries. Some of these diseases appear to correlate with viral infection. Inoculation of mice with neurotropic flaviviruses leads to injury and death of enteric neurons, inflammation, intestinal dilation and retarded bowel transit, providing a model for studying and treating these human …

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These Bacteria are Bugged

3 Comments / Basic virology, Gertrud Rey, Information / By Gertrud U. Rey

By Gertrud U. Rey Quorum sensing is a form of cell to cell communication in bacteria in which individual cells coordinate their behavior based on population density. In human terms, the word “quorum” means “the minimum number of people required to conduct business.”

The lost picornavirus ORF

2 Comments / Basic virology, Information / By Vincent Racaniello

For over 50 years the RNA genome of picornaviruses (illustrated below for poliovirus) was thought to be translated into a single, long polyprotein. All this time a very small upstream open reading frame (uORF) has gone undetected – until now.

Paul Has Measles

7 Comments / Basic virology, Information / By Vincent Racaniello

Susana LÃ³pez, Martha Yocupicio, Selene ZÃ¡rate, virologists from Mexico, together with graphic illustrator Eva LobatÃ³n, have teamed up to produce Paul Has Measles, a children’s book about viruses and vaccines. Paul Has Measles is available as a free pdf in 16 languages. It may also be purchased as a Kindle or paperback edition at Amazon: English …

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Leaving Koch behind

1 Comment / Basic virology, Information / By Vincent Racaniello

For the past 40 years, certain laboratory mice in Australia and the US have been unexpectedly dying in middle age, but the cause has remained elusive. A novel member of the parvovirus family appears to be the culprit.

Herpes simplex virus and Alzheimer€™s disease

1 Comment / Basic virology, Commentary, Information / By Vincent Racaniello

Alois Alzheimer was the first to propose that an infection might play a role in the disease named after him. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been most frequently linked to Alzheimer€™s Disease (AD), and a clinical trial is in progress to determine if antivirals ameliorate its development. What is the evidence that HSV-1 …

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