Unravels the secrets of infectious viruses

Researchers are for the first time on the way in which viruses such as the poliovirus and the common cold virus ‘pack up’ their genetic code, allowing them to capture cells.

The findings, published in the journal Pathogens PLOS with a team from the Universities of York and Leeds, open up the possibility of developing antiviral drugs or agents that could prevent such infections.

Once a cell is captured, a virus must spread its genetic material to other cells. This is a complex process that involves the formation of what are known as virions – newly developed infectious copies of the virus. Each virion is a protein shell that contains a complete copy of the genetic code of the virus. The faeces can then trap other cells and cause infection.

What has been a mystery so far is a detailed understanding of how the virus accumulates these girls.

Professor Reidun Twarock, of York University’s Department of Mathematics, said: “By understanding in detail how this process works, and the fact that it appears to be preserved in a whole family of viral pathogens, that will allow the pharmaceutical industry to develop antiviral agents. that can prevent these key interactions and prevent infection. ”

The study focuses on a harmless bovine virus that is non-infectious in humans, Enterovirus-E, which is the universally accepted surrogate for the poliovirus. The poliovirus is a dangerous virus that affects humans, causes polio and is the target of a virus eradication campaign by the World Health Organization.

The enterovirus group also includes the human rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.

Professor Peter Stockley, former Director of the Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology at Leeds, said: “This study is extremely important because of the way it shifts our thinking about how for us to control some viral diseases.If we can prevent the formation of virion machinery, then there is potential to stop infection in its pathways.

“Our analysis suggests that the molecular traits that control the process of virion formation are genetically preserved, meaning that they do not mutate easily – reducing the risk of the virus could change and make any new drugs ineffective. ”

The study describes the location of so-called RNA packing markers, short segments of the RNA molecule that, together with proteins from the virus case, ensure correct and effective infectious formation.

Using a combination of molecular and mathematical biology, the researchers were able to identify potential sites of RNA molecules that could be packaging markers. Using advanced electron microscopes, scientists were able to observe this process first-hand – the first time it has been possible with any such virus.

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The work was funded by the Wellcome Trust, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the British Medical Foundation for Medical Research.