Abstract

Viruses are minuscule infectious particles composed of a protein coat and a nucleic acid core. They exist in a huge variety of forms and infect practically all living creatures: animals, plants, insects and bacteria. Insight into the infection process could facilitate new therapeutic strategies for viral and bacterial diseases as well as food preservation. An article by Aksyuk et al (2009) published in this issue sheds light on the still mysterious infection process. It reports the first crystal structure of a significant portion of the bacteriophages T4 tail sheath protein. Together with fittings into existing cryo‐EM reconstructions, it suggests a mechanism of genome delivery into the host cell for the Myoviridae phages.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.