Surf and Turf: Mechanism of Enhanced Virus Spread During Poxvirus Infection
2010
How Vaccinia Virus Spreads Faster
Commentary
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Richard C. Condit
Primary Institution: University of Florida
Hypothesis
How does the vaccinia virus spread so quickly during infection?
Conclusion
The study reveals that the vaccinia virus spreads rapidly by using actin tails to move from infected cells to uninfected ones.
Supporting Evidence
- The study shows that actin tails help the vaccinia virus spread from cell to cell.
- Virus mutants that cannot form actin tails create smaller plaques, indicating the importance of actin tails in virus spread.
- CEV-tipped actin tails are observed at the leading edge of plaques, suggesting they help in the rapid spread of the virus.
Takeaway
The vaccinia virus can move quickly from one cell to another by using special structures called actin tails, which help it spread faster.
Methodology
The authors used time lapse video microscopy to measure the growth rate of vaccinia plaques in cultured infected cells.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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