In a remarkable discovery that challenges conventional understanding of viral behavior, scientists and students have uncovered a ‘vampire’ virus called MiniFlayer.
Like Dracula, a ‘vampire’ virus latches onto and metaphorically sinks its teeth into other viruses. The discovery was made by students and their professor Tagide deCarvalho at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
The research process, detailed in the Journal of the International Society for Microbial Ecology, began as an undergraduate class project led by deCarvalho, who manages the Keith R. Porter Imaging Facility. Students Jenell Lewis and Hira Ahmed isolated the virus from the soil in Poolesville, Maryland, in 2019.
ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
But then genome sequencing revealed perplexing results. It was under deCarvalho’s scrutiny that the sample revealed two distinct bacteriophages, viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria: MiniFlayer and MindFlayer.
Unlike typical satellite viruses that lie dormant waiting for a helper virus, MiniFlayer has evolved a unique mechanism.
“MiniFlayer addressed this challenge with evolutionary aplomb and horror-movie creativity. Instead of lying in wait, MiniFlayer has gone on the offensive,” Ivan Erill, a computational biologist at UMBC and deCarvalho’s collaborator, explained. “This satellite phage evolved a short appendage that allows it to latch onto its helper’s neck like a vampire,” he said. This allows it to enter a cell together and then utilize its companion’s genetic machinery to proliferate.
This discovery sheds light on the complex and predatory nature of viruses, which could lead to significant advancements in antiviral strategies. The interaction between MiniFlayer and MindFlayer exemplifies an evolutionary arms race, where “satellites evolve new ways to exploit helpers and helpers develop countermeasures to block them,” explains Erill.
“We know that viruses can do some amazing, interesting things. But this is just another new thing that no one could have predicted we would see,” said deCarvalho.
The significance of this discovery extends beyond the academic curiosity of viral behavior. “If the recent pandemic has taught us anything, it is that our supply of antivirals is rather limited,” Erill noted.
Research into the predatory nature of viruses like MiniFlayer opens new possibilities for antiviral therapy, potentially leading to more effective treatments for viral infections.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.