Ebola. Undo connects the deadly virus to bird viruses.
The devastating Ebola virus might be able to steal a victim to another, speculate scientists have confirmed a link between Ebola and bird viruses. The results suggest that the Ebola virus has evolved from the same ancestor as bird retroviruses, raising the possibility that the birds could still be carriers. However, the same research also has a good side :. A mutant version of an Ebola protein could lead to a promising new vector for gene therapy
biochemist David Sanders of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and co workers made the discovery while studying a glycoprotein molecule on the surface of the virus that allows it to break into the host cells. The team used a variety of biochemical techniques to determine the structure of the glycoprotein and study the complex sequence of changes that the virus makes to the glycoprotein entering cells.
The Ebola glycoprotein appears to be very similar to the structure and function of glycoproteins found in some bird retroviruses, the team reports in the December 15 issue of Journal of Virology . The possibility of a common evolutionary past is very strong, says Sanders. But he is quick to warn that the natural host of the Ebola virus is unknown, and epidemiological studies are needed to determine if birds are involved.
The team also found a way to put the Ebola potentially beneficial use. A mutated version of the virus that has failed a particular region of the glycoprotein was much more effective to penetrate into the cells, making it a promising candidate for use in gene therapy. Ebola is one of the few viruses that attack the lungs directly from respiratory tract rather than in the bloodstream; thus, the shell could be used to create an inhalation treatment. Sanders is considering the combination of the shell of an Ebola virus with the mutated virus glycoprotein with a second, less deadly that would provide the genetic information needed to address diseases such as lung cancer or cystic fibrosis.
Previous genetic evidence pointed to a similarity between Ebola and bird retroviruses, says molecular geneticist Paul McCray from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, but "it is a fascinating link to say that they are related in terms of evolution. "the mutant protein is another exciting product research, he added.
Related Sites
David Sanders website
information Ebola Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
information filoviruses, the category that includes Ebola
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