Infectious Diseases News South Africa

Research in the news: A viral trick, revealed

Viruses such as West Nile and dengue have an intriguing way to hijack cells once they have been internalized by the cell.
Image by Digizyme, Inc., XVIVO, Inc. and Yorgo Modis
Image by Digizyme, Inc., XVIVO, Inc. and Yorgo Modis

The illustration shows a flavivirus invading a cell by fusing its lipid membrane with the membrane of an endosome, which delivers the viral genetic material into the cytoplasm for replication. The timing and mechanism of this fusion event are described in a new study in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

For a movie describing the viral tricks, visit the website.

Source: Yale University

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