Researchers discover link
between viruses
By Kurt Esposito
Assistant
Campus Editor
Purdue researchers have found a common link between
two families of insect-borne viruses.
The family of alphaviruses was found to have a
protein, E1, that lies flat on the surface; this is similar to how proteins
are found on the family of flaviviruses.
The two virus families were thought to be unrelated
until now.
Richard Kuhn, associate professor of biological
sciences, said the research also implies the families enter cells in
a similar manner and share a common origin.
"It has major implications for research on how
these viruses infect cells and how we develop vaccine and anti-virals
for them," he said.
He said researchers will be able to combine the
research for both the families of viruses and make the research process
quicker.
The group of researchers included Kuhn, Michael
Rossmann, professor of biological sciences; and Timothy Baker, professor
of biological sciences.
The similarity was found when researchers marked
the locations of proteins on a Sindbis virus, a type of alphavirus,
by identifying the sugar residues with electronic microscopy. By locating
the areas where the sugar residue was missing, researchers could find
where the proteins were located on the virus.
Both viruses also have symmetrical shells covered
by a lipid layer and use ribonucleic acid to carry their genomes.
Flaviviruses cause illnesses such as yellow fever,
encephalitis and dengue, and aplhaviruses cause various lesser-known
neurological disorders.
Rossmann said the next objective is to get high
enough resolution using the electronic microscopy to see the atoms that
make the proteins.
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