Among pathogens, viruses are unique in their collective ability to infect all types of organisms. There are plant viruses, insect viruses, fungal viruses, and even viruses that infect only amoeba and bacteria. Now a group of researchers at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France has made the startling discovery that even some viruses can have viruses.
In a paper in Nature last month, the group described how they identified a giant mimivirus in a cooling tower in France. Mimiviruses are the largest viruses known to exist - so big they are visible under a normal optical microscope (usually much higher resolution electron microscopes are needed to view them). The new virus, large even by mimivirus standards, was appropriately named "mamavirus."
In the same cooling tower, the French group also discovered a second, tiny virus that infects the giant mamavirus. This they named "Sputnik."
Sputnik is unusual because it is the first virus ever discovered that is a parasite of another virus. When it reproduces in a cell infected by the larger virus, its action impairs the reproduction of mamavirus particles. The group sequenced Sputnik's genetic code and discovered that a number of its gene sequences are similar to those found in a massive survey of genetic material taken from oceans all over the globe. This suggests that a whole class of viruses might exist that infect other viruses.
Moreover, the discovery rekindles the debate over whether viruses are alive. Viruses are often not considered living organisms because they lack their own cellular structure and the ability to metabolize food - traits common to all known forms of life. The ability of one virus to infect another calls into question the possibility that viruses should be considered forms of life - though this is no great revelation for some.
"For me it is does not change anything," says Bernard Lascola, who was the first author on the paper. "I always considered that viruses are alive."
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Joined: Jan 09, 2007 Age: 17 Posts: 1388 Location: Somewhere over Alagaesia
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:03 pm Post subject:
Has anyone considered the medical implications of this theory? We could use genetically-engineered viruses to get rid of the majority of bacterial and viral diseases. I think scientists have already thought of using designer viruses to get rid of bacterial infections, but now they can use it for some viral infections as well. _________________ California, rest in peace
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Has anyone considered the medical implications of this theory? We could use genetically-engineered viruses to get rid of the majority of bacterial and viral diseases. I think scientists have already thought of using designer viruses to get rid of bacterial infections, but now they can use it for some viral infections as well.
You mean kind of like how they've used combinations of viruses to create things like AIDS.. they hardly ever do things for the better of man-kind..
Joined: Mar 29, 2007 Posts: 1379 Location: New England
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:33 pm Post subject:
Roxas_XIII wrote:
Has anyone considered the medical implications of this theory? We could use genetically-engineered viruses to get rid of the majority of bacterial and viral diseases. I think scientists have already thought of using designer viruses to get rid of bacterial infections, but now they can use it for some viral infections as well.
I might be going a little sci fi, but what if the virus we used to cure a virus learned to harm humans?
Joined: Jan 09, 2007 Age: 17 Posts: 1388 Location: Somewhere over Alagaesia
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:04 pm Post subject:
TheMidnightJudge wrote:
Roxas_XIII wrote:
Has anyone considered the medical implications of this theory? We could use genetically-engineered viruses to get rid of the majority of bacterial and viral diseases. I think scientists have already thought of using designer viruses to get rid of bacterial infections, but now they can use it for some viral infections as well.
I might be going a little sci fi, but what if the virus we used to cure a virus learned to harm humans?
Fair point, I think an "I Am Legend" scenario might come from using viruses to destroy other diseases. Anyways, I don't really think it's possible, just wanted to spark some enlightened conversation. Which, apparently, I did. _________________ California, rest in peace
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California, show your teeth
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Joined: May 07, 2008 Posts: 3658 Location: Pantopia
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:
Quote:
"... Sputnik is unusual because it is the first virus ever discovered that is a parasite of another virus. When it reproduces in a cell infected by the larger virus, its action impairs the reproduction of mamavirus particles..."
Did I hear someone say "AIDS Treatment"?
I hope so! _________________ The leaders of the American automobile industry have been amazingly consistent in their management philosophy, in that they have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Has anyone considered the medical implications of this theory? We could use genetically-engineered viruses to get rid of the majority of bacterial and viral diseases. I think scientists have already thought of using designer viruses to get rid of bacterial infections, but now they can use it for some viral infections as well.
Yeah, I know a guy who's using viruses to try and fight bacterial infections- an old idea that was never developed to its full potential, and it may soon be coming back out into the mainstream after traditional antibiotics fail to deal with problems such as XDR TB.
ShawnWilliam: No. Just no. I don't care if you found one fringe doctor who endorses your AIDS conspiracy theory. The virus traces back to the 50s at the latest, and quite possible as far back as 1908. We didn't even know the structure of DNA until 1953. We weren't certain that DNA was the genetic material until the 40s and 50s. There is simply no way at all that anyone could have figured out how to create this virus back then. I doubt it would even be possible today. _________________ WAR IS PEACE
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Joined: Apr 06, 2007 Age: 26 Posts: 5005 Location: London
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:56 am Post subject:
This is not really the same as infecting a virus, it simply impedes a viruses replication. I don't think we can adequately say that viruses are alive yet.
This is not really the same as infecting a virus, it simply impedes a viruses replication. I don't think we can adequately say that viruses are alive yet.
See, I disagree here. It's true that viruses can not reproduce outside a host organism, but the same is true of many internal parasites, and that does not disqualify them from being alive. The most compelling argument against considering viruses to be alive is their relative lack of their own cellular machinery (well, they aren't really regarded as cells) but then most parasites do not have functions that overlap with the resources they garner from their hosts. It would be redundant, and thus inefficient.
Viruses pass on their genetic information to offspring. Their genetic sequences code for certain processes. To me, this makes them alive. _________________ WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
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