Virology: Independent virus development outside a host

TY - JOUR

T1 - Virology: Independent virus development outside a host

AU - Häring, M.

AU - Vestergaard, Gisle Alberg

AU - Rachel, R.

AU - Chen, Lanming

AU - Garrett, Roger A.

AU - Prangishvili, D.

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - Viruses are thought to be functionally inactive once they are outside and independent of their host cell1. Here we describe an exceptional property of a newly discovered virus that infects a hyperthermophilic archaeon growing in acidic hot springs: the lemon-shaped viral particle develops a very long tail at each of its pointed ends after being released from its host cell. The process occurs only at the temperature of the host's habitat (75-90 °C) and it does not require the presence of the host cell, an exogenous energy source or any cofactors. This host-independent morphological development may be a strategy for viral survival in an environment that is unusually harsh and has limited host availability.

AB - Viruses are thought to be functionally inactive once they are outside and independent of their host cell1. Here we describe an exceptional property of a newly discovered virus that infects a hyperthermophilic archaeon growing in acidic hot springs: the lemon-shaped viral particle develops a very long tail at each of its pointed ends after being released from its host cell. The process occurs only at the temperature of the host's habitat (75-90 °C) and it does not require the presence of the host cell, an exogenous energy source or any cofactors. This host-independent morphological development may be a strategy for viral survival in an environment that is unusually harsh and has limited host availability.

U2 - 10.1038/4361101a

DO - 10.1038/4361101a

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16121167

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 436

SP - 1101

EP - 1102

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

IS - 7054

ER -