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Animals can change genes quickly to keep up with viral ingenuity
March 21, 2006Viruses are famous for evolving quickly, but the organisms they infect can't be expected to sit idly by. There is now new evidence that animals in fact do an impressive job of keeping up in the ongoing evolutionary arms race between viruses and their hosts. Studying a special class of genes thought to have evolved in part as a defense system against viruses, researchers have found evidence that these genes are indeed among the fastest-evolving in the genome of the fruit fly, Drosophila. The work is reported by University of Edinburgh researchers Dr. Darren Obbard and Dr. Tom Little and colleagues and appears in the March 21st issue of Current Biology.
Viruses hijack the cells of other organisms, using them as factories to copy themselves. Animals and plants have a number of different locks and codes that help to keep the viruses out, but viruses are capable of evolving new ways of breaking the codes extremely quickly. The new research shows that genes controlling a part of the immune system that fights viruses actually evolve much faster than almost all other genes, evidence of the host's evolutionary race to keep the viruses at bay.
In their research, the scientists found evidence that some genes that participate in so-called RNAi mechanisms evolve much faster than the vast majority of other genes in the fly's genome. This is relevant for the virus-host arms race because RNAi pathways-which exist in both plants and animals-participate in molecular defenses against viruses by homing in on viral genetic material and directing its enzymatic destruction. Viruses can evolve quickly to out-maneuver RNAi mechanisms, but hosts would be expected to rapidly evolve countermeasures of their own to resist new viral strategies. The new research provides evidence for such rapid evolution of some RNAi genes: The researchers found that some RNAi components evolve far faster than 97% of all other fruit fly genes. This rapid evolution illustrates the vital role of RNAi in antiviral defense, and it shows that these genes can be central players in the evolution of host organisms in response to the ever-changing strategies of viral attacks.
Cell Press
Cell Press
Viruses Current Events and Viruses News RSSNew culprit for viral infections among elderly -- an overactive immune response
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New research helps explain why bird flu has not caused a pandemic
Bird flu viruses would have to make at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be transmitted readily from human to human, according to research published today in PLoS ONE.
Texas A&M Researchers Examine How Viruses Destroy Bacteria
Viruses are well known for attacking humans and animals, but some viruses instead attack bacteria. Texas A&M University researchers are exploring how hungry viruses, armed with transformer-like weapons, attack bacteria, which may aid in the treatment of bacterial infections.
No-entry zones for AIDS virus
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Hoping for a fluorescent basket case
Although recent advances have raised hopes that a protective vaccine can be developed, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains a major public health problem.
Exposure to several common infections over time may be associated with risk of stroke
Cumulative exposure to five common infection-causing pathogens may be associated with an increased risk of stroke, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the January 2010 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Newly Discovered Fat Molecule: An Undersea Killer with an Upside
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Scientists explain binding action of 2 key HIV antibodies; could lead to new vaccine design
A very close and detailed study of how the most robust antibodies work to block the HIV virus as it seeks entry into healthy cells has revealed a new direction for researchers hoping to design an effective vaccine.
New methods found useful for diagnosing myocarditis
Myocarditis is an important, and often unrecognized cause of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Several new diagnostic methods, such as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are useful for diagnosing myocarditis, according to a study published in the November 2009 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Study reveals a 'missing link' in immune response to disease
The immune system's T cells have the unique responsibilities of being both jury and executioner. They examine other cells for signs of disease, including cancers or infections, and, if such evidence is found, rid them from the body. Precisely how T cells shift so swiftly from one role to another, however, has been a mystery.
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