DNA

Algal virus associated with altered human cognitive functions

16 Comments / Basic virology, Information / By

Many well-known human viruses, including poliovirus, rabies virus, West Nile virus, can infect cells of the nervous system, leading to alterations in the function of that organ. Could a virus that infects algae also cause human neurological alterations? Chloroviruses are large DNA-containing viruses that infect unicellular algae called zoochlorellae (pictured: image credit, ViralZone). Unexpectedly, chlorovirus …

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Virologia en Español Clase #7 €“ Replicación de Virus con Genoma de DNA

Basic virology, Information / By

En esta sesión discutiremos como los virus con genoma de DNA replican sus ácidos nucleícos. Consideraremos las enzimas y otras proeteínas que participan en la síntesis del DNA viral y los retos que imponen las distintas topologías de los genomas de DNA (DNA linear de cadena sencilla, DNA circular de doble cadena y DNA linear …

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Pandoravirus, bigger and unlike anything seen before

29 Comments / Basic virology, Information / By

The discovery of the giant Mimivirus and Megavirus amazed virologists (and also many others). Their virions (750 nanometers) and DNA genomes (1,259,000 base pairs) were the biggest ever discovered, shattering the notions that viruses could not be seen with a light microscope, and that viral genomes were smaller than bacterial genomes. Now two even bigger viruses have been discovered, …

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Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) genome sequence published then withdrawn

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Earlier this month the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) published the DNA sequence of the genome of HeLa cells, the cell line that is widely used for research in virology, cell biology, and many other areas. This cell line was produced from a tumor taken from Henrietta Lacks in 1951. Unfortunately the EMBL did not …

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