Virus

Lovesick: Viruses have been caught leaving 'love bites' on each other for the first time ever!

Viruses are notorious for infecting other organisms and ruthlessly taking advantage of their bodies to further their nutritional and reproductive goals. While this is a pretty well-documented phenomenon, these microbes seemed to have maintained a pretty good record within their own species, being careful not to latch onto each other.


However, a new discovery turns this belief on its head after researchers found multiple instances of two viruses attached to each other in temporary matrimony, even discovering "love bites" on the viruses.

Being neither dead nor alive, viruses ardently require a host to complete their life cycles. However, some viruses also need a "helper" virus to accomplish their goals, helping the "satellite" virus create protective shells or replicate its DNA as it burrows into the unsuspecting victim.

While these viral relationships certainly require near proximity for them to work, the new research is the first time a satellite bacteriophage — viruses that infects bacteria — has been observed consistently and fully attaching itself to a helper virus.

In fact, the paper outlines that 80% of the helpers had a satellite nibbling on their "necks". The ones that didn't had satellite tendrils at the neck site, what we referred to as love bites earlier.

Satellite viruses usually have a gene that helps them assimilate effectively after entering their hosts, and not get killed off in the process. Surprisingly enough, in this instance, the satellite had no gene for integration. The scientists reckon that to thus remain safe, they must keep snuggled with their helper viruses every time they enter a host.

The study's authors revealed that the satellite and helper have been co-evolving for a long time, and this unusual behaviour might've been a result of that process. It's hard not to develop separation anxiety if you've been with someone for 100 million years, after all.

The next stage would be to confirm how unique this phenomenon is, and how exactly the satellites manage to attach themselves to the helpers.

"It's possible that a lot of the bacteriophages that people thought were contaminated were actually these satellite-helper systems," explains lead author Tagide deCarvalho. "So now, with this paper, people might be able to recognize more of these systems."
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