These are the first vampire viruses to be identified in the wild: they use this technique to replicate in a host. These are the first ‘vampire viruses’ to be identified in the wild: they use this technique to replicate in a host. The work was led by researchers at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), who discovered that some virus-like entities, known as mobile genetic elements (MGE), attach to the necks of their helpers while infecting a population of cells. bacterial.
Scientists warn about vampire virus
Scientist Tagide de Carvalho saw something in March 2020 that she believed no other colleague had observed before a virus with another smaller virus attached to its “neck,” like a vampire. Since then, this discovery has been a masterclass in how wild and strange biology can be. The two microbes are bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, that were collected from a pile of soil in Poolesville, Maryland. Bacteriophages, also called simply phages, are among the most abundant organisms on Earth. There can be millions in a gram of soil.
Lacking codes to produce critical elements like a capsule, these sequences depend on the presence of other viruses to make their machinery. As we can see in the image, this is the first case of the ‘vampire virus’ (in purple) observed by scientists, who discovered that some infectious agents adhere to the neck of another (in blue) to ensure their cycle of life.
Same patterns and codes
The team studied a sample of satellite bacteriophage (a virus that infects bacterial cells), including a species of Streptomyces bacteria (the helper) found in soil. The satellite in the sample is the first known case of a satellite without an integrating gene. And it wasn’t a mistake. They repeated the experiment multiple times.
The scientists observed that 80 percent of the helper viruses had satellite viruses attached, forming a temporary marriage. Scientists even identified marks resembling “bite marks” on these viruses, indicating their close connection. In 40 of the 50 experiments, this was the case. Among the 10 that were satellite-free, frayed remains of telltale fibers could still be seen wrapped around their throats (very much like “bite marks,” the researchers say).
That is, the researchers discovered that the genetic code used by satellite viruses matches the genetic instructions of helper viruses. This coincidence allowed satellite viruses to survive within their hosts.
This story was written in Spanish by Perla Vallejo in Ecoosfera
