Virology
Mitochondrial double-stranded RNA is dangerous
By Vincent Racaniello
Mitochondria are descended from bacteria that invaded cells 1.5 billion years ago and never left. The mitochondrial genome is like that of bacteria: circular double-stranded DNA, only smaller. And just like the genome of bacteria, RNA can be made from both strands of mitochondrial DNA - which results in the ...
TWiV 513: Double-stranded in Belgium
By Vincent Racaniello
https://youtu.be/7c_sAo6HgVQ From the 13th International Symposium on dsRNA viruses in Belgium, Vincent speaks with Harry Greenberg about his career and his work on rotaviruses, noroviruses, hepatitis B virus, and influenza virus. <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: ...
A cell protein that synthesizes an antiviral ribonucleotide
By Vincent Racaniello
Some antiviral drugs, like acyclovir for treatment of herpes simplex virus infections, are chain terminators that block RNA or DNA synthesis. They are modified nucleotides that can be incorporated into a growing RNA strand, but no additional nucleotides can be added. Amazingly, a cell protein has been found that can ...
TWiV 512: Flexuous SUMO wrestlers
By Vincent Racaniello
Anne Simon joins the TWiV team to talk about plant viruses, including plum pox virus that devastates nut and stone fruit trees, and a geminivirus protein that regulates viral DNA synthesis. <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: ...
CRISPR-ing HIV-1
By Gertrud U. Rey
By Gertrud U. Rey Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been highly effective at controlling HIV-1 viral loads in the bloodstream of infected individuals, the virus remains latent in infected cells and starts replicating within a couple of weeks upon termination of therapy. The discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology has ...
