Uncovering the Interplay Between Bacterial Viruses and Host Proteins
This week, a groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications has revealed how bacterial viruses, known as bacteriophages, use their own RNA to hijack proteins from their bacterial host. This innovative mechanism provides the viruses with the tools they need to replicate and spread throughout a bacterial population, potentially leading to the development of new treatments for bacterial infections.
The research team, led by Professor David Steinberg of the University of California, Davis, discovered that bacteriophages can manipulate their host’s proteins in two ways: by using their own RNA to directly bind to the proteins, or by using the proteins to convert the virus’s RNA into a form that can be used to hijack the host’s machinery. This is the first time that scientists have been able to observe this process in action, and it could lead to the development of new treatments for bacterial infections.
source: Phys.org