A Viral Heist
HSV-1 virions capture the cellular motor protein kinesin from initially infected epithelial cells and ferry it to subsequently infected neuronal cells to deliver their genome into the nucleus of those cells.
nucleus
TWiV 440: I hardly noumeavirus
No problem not being nice to Dickson in this episode, because he’s absent for a discussion of a new giant virus that replicates in the cytoplasm yet transiently accesses the nucleus to bootstrap infection. You can find TWiV #440 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen below. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 440 (72 MB .mp3, 119 min) Subscribe …
A different kind of remote control
Among the multitudes of eukaryotic viruses with DNA genomes, some replicate in the cell nucleus, while others avoid the nuclear bureaucracy and remain in the cytoplasm. But biology is not always so rigid: a new giant virus has been found that replicates in the cytoplasm, where it seems to recruit components of the nuclear transcription machinery …
A viral nucleus
A unique feature of eukaryotic cells, which distinguishes them from bacteria, is the presence of a membrane-bound nucleus that contains the chromosomal DNA (illustrated; image credit). Surprisingly, a nucleus-like structure that forms during viral infection of bacteria is the site of viral DNA replication (link to paper). During infection of Pseudomonas bacteria with the phage 2O1phi2-1, a …
TWiV 328: Lariat tricks in 3D
On episode #328 of the science show This Week in Virology, the TWiVocateurs discuss how the RNA polymerase of enteroviruses binds a component of the splicing machinery and inhibits mRNA processing. You can find TWiV #328 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
TWiV 269: Herpesvirus stops a nuclear attack
On episode #269 of the science show This Week in Virology, the complete TWiV team reviews evidence for sensing of herpesviral DNA in the nucleus by the cell protein IFI16. You can find TWiV #269 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.