One can also argue that large DNA viruses arose through a regressive process whereby once-independent entities lost key genes over time and adopted a parasitic replication strategy. Finally ...

With only seven genes, the BK polyomavirus must use the host cell's DNA replication machinery to produce new viruses. Although the virus was discovered over 50 years ago, little is known about how ...

During DNA replication, the unwinding of strands leaves a single strand vulnerable. How does the cell protect these strands from damage? How would you identify the protein that serves as a ...

Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered new details explaining how poxviruses manipulate host cells to enhance their ...

View Full Profile. Learn about our Editorial Policies. Using a technique called “DNA origami,” researchers created traps that encase large viruses—such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, and Zika—in hopes of ...

One aspect that signals pandemic potential in a virus is having an RNA, rather than DNA, genome. That’s because the process of copying RNA typically doesn’t include a proofreader like DNA replication ...

Now, researchers used cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) to elucidate the structure of the Nipah virus polymerase complex (the ...

Could viral infections play a role in Huntington's disease? Research suggests Apolipoprotein B mRNA editing catalytic ...

Viral reverse transcriptase (RT) plays a critical role in replication (e.g., retroviruses, that reverse transcribe RNA templates into complementary DNA) and genome mutations (e.g., diversity ...

These analogs can interfere with DNA replication and induce cell death in rapidly dividing cancer cells or inhibit viral replication. Examples include: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU): A pyrimidine analog used ...

Several antiviral and anticancer drugs target the incorporation of adenine into DNA or RNA. For example, some nucleoside analog drugs, such as vidarabine and fludarabine, mimic adenine and interfere ...