Scorched Earth or Viral Birth?

Abstract

Whether a virus is coded for by RNA, single-stranded DNA or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), the ultimate goal of the virus is to hijack the host’s biosynthetic machinery to replicate and spread. Like spies fomenting revolt behind enemy lines, viruses have evolved to invade cells and then use stealth and deception to avoid or disrupt the cell’s defences [1]. Cells are not without defences, however, and have evolved a number of ways to detect the presence of viral invaders and prevent their replication. In particular, cells may choose the ‘scorched earth’ policy and kill themselves by activating an apoptotic program to prevent the virus from replicating. Multicellular organisms have evolved to accept a small-scale cellular loss for the greater good, i.e., to prevent the defeat of the entire organism. However, while viruses must evade the cellular apoptosis response in order to replicate and therefore mostly counteract apoptosis, some viruses even manage to subvert this protective response to destroy their hosts at a late stage of infection in order to facilitate release of mature viral particles.