Scientists discover way to track and stop viruses
A Virginia Tech scientist has found a way to not only track viral hijackers, but also potentially stop them from replicating.
The findings were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Even though these viruses infect very different hosts, they all replicate similarly across the board, so what we learn from one virus can potentially be translated to control viruses in agricultural production as well as human health,” said Xiaofeng Wang, an assistant professor of plant pathology, physiology, and weed science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Wang’s findings could target any number of plant viruses. One virus Wang has studied — the cucumber mosaic virus — affects pumpkin, squash and gourds in 1,200 species in over 100 plant families.
Sprays could be developed to halt the virus on plants, saving millions of dollars in agricultural sectors.
Viruses can’t replicate by themselves. They are essentially thieves that break into cells and multiply by hijacking the machinery of the host cells and proliferating and remodeling lipid-containing membranes such as phosphatidylcholine — one the most prominent lipids in host membranes. Wang and his collaborators were able to see where exactly the virus replications started and how they managed their hosts to meet their needs. Based on the finding of Wang and his collaborators, new ways can be developed to stop phosphatidylcholine synthesis for viral replication, but leave the host undamaged.
“The better we understand the mechanisms of a biological process, be it virus replication or cell division, the better are our options to rationally design tools that can control it,” said George Belov, a collaborator of Wang’s and an assistant professor of virology at the University of Maryland. “In the case of viral replication it may provide us with novel ways to control infection without causing host toxicity and a generation of viral-resistant mutants.”
Category: Features, Technology & Devices
