Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2034762 | Bioscience Hypotheses | 2009 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
I propose a mechanism by which viruses successfully infect new individuals, despite being immotile particles with no ability for directed movement. Within cells, viral particle movements are directed by motors and elements of the cytoskeleton, but how viruses cross extracellular barriers, like mucus, remains a mystery. I propose that viruses cross these barriers by hitch-hiking on bacteria or sperm cells which can transport themselves across mucosal layers designed to protect the underlying cells from pathogen attack. An important implication of this hypothesis is that agents that block interactions between viruses and bacteria or sperm may be new tools for disease prevention.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (General)
Authors
Katharina Ribbeck,