viruses

Did viruses enable sex?

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 …

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TWiV 429: Zika Experimental Science Team

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!

Viral RNA is not infectious virus!

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 …

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TWiV 428: Lyse globally, protect locally

The TWiVsters explain how superspreader bacteriophages release intact DNA from infected cells, and the role of astrocytes in protecting the cerebellum from virus infection. You can find TWiV #428 at microbe.tv/twiv, or listen below. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV428.mp3″] Click arrow to play Download TWiV 428 (65 MB .mp3, 108 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV!

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