A key step in sexual reproduction is the fusion of haploid cells to form a diploid zygote, yet the molecular mechanism underlying this joining of cells is poorly understood. Two studies reveal amazing similarities between proteins required for fusion of sperm and egg, and virus with host cells. A screen for genes that cause male sterility in the flowering plant Arabidopsis led to …
The TWiVirions reveal bacteriophage genes that control eukaryotic reproduction, and the biochemical basis for increased Ebolavirus glycoprotein activity during the recent outbreak. You can find TWiV #431 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen below. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 431 (71 MB .mp3, 118 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV!
The obligate intracellular bacteria Wolbachia (pictured), which infects 40% of arthropods, can manipulate its host to ensure its maintenance in the population. An example is cytoplasmic incompatibility, which occurs when infected males mate with uninfected females, and causes embryonic lethality (mating with an infected female produces viable offspring). Two Wolbachia genes responsible for this phenotype have been …
The TWiX cabal discuss sexual transmission of Zika virus in mice, and how immune escape enables herpes simplex virus escape from latency. You can find TWiV #430 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen below. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 430 (63 MB .mp3, 104 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV!
Vincent meets with members of team ZEST at the University of Wisconsin Madison to discuss their macaque model for Zika virus pathogenesis. You can find TWiV #429 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen/watch right here. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV429.mp3″] Click arrow to play Download TWiV 429 (48 MB .mp3, 78 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV!
A study of sexual transmission of Zika virus among mice (link to paper) demonstrates beautifully that viral nucleic acid detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is not the same as infectious virus. Male mice were infected with Zika virus and then mated with female mice. Efficient sexual transmission of the virus from males to females was observed. This …
