Toggle light / dark theme

The anti-Kronos effect: How bacterial viruses protect their offspring to maximize spread

University of Toronto researchers have uncovered how bacterial viruses protect their progeny in order to maximize their reach. The phenomenon, described in a study published in Nature, relies on viral proteins to fine-tune structures on the surface of the bacterial host cell and is widely conserved—pointing to a previously unknown parallel between microbial and human immunity.

The researchers dubbed their discovery the anti-Kronos effect, after the Greek god who ate his children.

Researchers have long known that once a cell is infected by a , it can block subsequent reinfection by the same or closely related viruses. This process, called superinfection exclusion, was first described in bacteriophages, the viruses that infect .

Leave a Comment

Lifeboat Foundation respects your privacy! Your email address will not be published.

/* */