Comments on: Viral resistance and new functions

By: Vincent Racaniello

Vincent Racaniello — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:10:03 +0000

There are other examples of viral resistance to drugs targeting host functions. Brefeldin inhibits poliovirus replication by blocking the function of a cellular protein. Nevertheless, brefeldin-resistant mutants have been identified. They were harder to come by than is usually the case when the drug targets a viral function. But it’s too early to conclude that viruses are ‘not as adept at this as modifying existing functions’.

By: iayork

iayork — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:06:37 +0000

D’oh! Yes, of course, the whole acute transforming retrovirus group have incorporated host oncogenes — src, myc, ras, many others. Most of them are replication defective but Rous Sarcoma Virus is a functional virus without needing helper virus.

Thanks, Clive.

By: Clive T

Clive T — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:38:37 +0000

I can think of one (and it’s quite a famous one). The Rous sarcoma virus has its own copy of src

By: iayork

iayork — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:13:07 +0000

Yong-Hui was telling me that at least part of Vpr seems to be new in HIV compared to SIV, so presumably that’s a fairly recent addition.

I can’t think, offhand, of RNA viruses incorporating host genes, but I’m pretty sure I’m just blanking and that there are some good examples out there that will come to me as soon as I hit “submit”.

By: Peer

Peer — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:19:44 +0000

There’s two things I wonder about:
1. From an evolutionary perspective, what gene evolved last into its current function in HIV?

2. Will HIV, despite its “limited” size ever aquire a new protein as DNA viruses are known to do?