'Vampire Viruses' observed for the first time by scientists
Scientists from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, have discovered two new viruses known as "vampire viruses."
These viruses hijack the machinery of other bacteria-infecting viruses to replicate themselves. These are satellite viruses, which need another helper virus co-infecting the same cell to start their replication process.
The discovery is significant because it's the first time scientists have witnessed this behavior in viruses. One of the newly discovered viruses, called the miniflayer, latches to the neck of its helper virus, the mindflayer, and both viruses invade the host simultaneously.
Mindflayer and Miniflayer: A new type of Vampire Virus
The viruses were found in soil samples. (Image via Vecteezy)© Provided by Sportskeeda
According to the report published in The ISME Journal, the vampire viruses were found in soil samples collected from Missouri and Maryland. These little viruses specifically target bacteria called Streptomyces and work with bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria.
Satellite viruses have their distinctive protein shell, called a capsid, and usually enter cells like other viruses, but they need another helper virus co-infecting to start their replication process.
Attaches itself to the host (Image via Vecteezy)© Provided by Sportskeeda
The scientists found that the Mulch and Flayer phage system is the perfect host for these vampire viruses. The Mulch is a new satellite virus of a bacteriophage, while the Flayer is a bacteriophage.
The Flayer system, in particular, has a unique feature of its own. It seems to feature some virus-on-virus action. Satellites typically have their own way of entering and staying inside a cell unnoticed while they wait for a helper virus to co-infect, but the miniflayer lacks that ability.
Instead, it has its own mini-tail that binds to the neck of the helper virus, the mindflayer.
How these sneaky predators attack other viruses
They latch onto other viruses (Image via Vecteezy)© Provided by Sportskeeda
The scientists who did the study reckon the virus uses some interesting way to get inside the host at the same time as the assistant virus.
This is a huge discovery that helps us get a better grip on how viruses work. These findings will expand our limited knowledge of viruses and their evolutionary journey.
The vampire viruses that scientists found could be a game-changer for making antiviral treatments. If they can pinpoint which viruses the bacteriophages attack, scientiests could develop treatments for a whole range of viral infections.
The discovery could transform the game for fighting viral infections, from the HIV that causes AIDS and beyond.
Could play a huge role in treatment (Image via Vecteezy)© Provided by Sportskeeda
The authors of the study said thata they almost missed finding these vampire viruses. That's because at first, they thought that they found some weird genetic stuff that was maybe just dirt. Imagine if they hadn't looked closer and saw the viruses?
More research into these vampire viruses could lead to better understanding of how viruses interact with each other, and how we can leverage this knowledge to develop more effective treatments for viral infections.
In conclusion, this discovery of vampire viruses is significant. It paves the way for further research that could have a profound impact on the development of new antiviral therapies in the future.
It unlocks the potential to develop more targeted treatments for various viral infections, which could be a breakthrough in effectively treating viral infections.
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