2006 Public Lecture Series
May 17, 2006
VIRUSES: Minimalist Molecular Machines
Viruses are obligate parasites that have evolved to hijack the cellular machinery of their host to generate/produce new copies of themselves (progeny). They are streamlined minimalist molecular machines, especially those containing small RNA genomes coding for only about a dozen genes. While some of these genes are devoted to the formation of an exterior protective shell (capsid), the majority of the viral genes contribute to the replication machinery that generates large numbers of genomic copies. These newly synthesized genomes are then converted by the host cell into viral proteins that assemble into progeny virus. Replication, capsid formation and attachment to the host cell are the major targets for therapeutic intervention to cure or prevent viral diseases. Some of the machine aspects, mechanistic workings and concepts behind these processes will be discussed.