Virus that invades bateria

More common, but less understood, are cases of viruses infecting bacteria known as bacteriophages, or phages. In part, this is due to the difficulty of culturing bacteria and viruses that have been cut off from their usual biological surroundings in a process called in vitro. Researchers from the California Institute of Technology, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, were the first to use a clever technique to look at virus-bacterium interactions in vivo , that is, within an organism's normal state.

The researchers report their results in the July 1st issue of the journal, Science. As a test case, Rob Phillips and his team considered the interaction between viruses and bacteria in the hindgut, or posterior part, of a termite.

Using new microfluidic technology, they were able to isolate single bacterial cells from the termite hindgut in six-nanoliter chambers on an array containing such chambers. In the latter case, the researchers were able to statistically deduce whether the virus was specifically associated with the host--for example, by attaching to the host, shooting its DNA into the host, being incorporated into the host as a prophage a viral genome inserted and integrated into the bacterial DNA , riding on a plasmid or by assembling new viruses within the host.

And through this snapshot, the group recorded virus-bacterium associations. Frequently there was a one-to-one virus-bacterium correspondence. However in some cases, the host was associated with a viral gene exhibiting marked diversity, suggesting possibly a more ancient infection, a more susceptible host or a phage replicating at a lower fidelity. By analyzing the bacteria and viruses based on their evolutionary development they were able to deduce that horizontal gene transfer, while it may be occurring, is not occurring at a rate high enough to randomize host-virus associations.

This study was by no means exhaustive. Others, such as malaria, are spread by mosquitoes. Helminths are among the larger parasites. The word "helminth" comes from the Greek word for worm. If these parasites — or their eggs — enter your body, they take up residence in your intestinal tract, lungs, liver, skin or brain, where they live off your body's nutrients.

Helminths include tapeworms and roundworms. There's a difference between infection and disease. Infection, often the first step, occurs when bacteria, viruses or other microbes that cause disease enter your body and begin to multiply. Disease occurs when the cells in your body are damaged — as a result of the infection — and signs and symptoms of an illness appear.

In response to infection, your immune system springs into action. An army of white blood cells, antibodies and other mechanisms goes to work to rid your body of whatever is causing the infection. For instance, in fighting off the common cold, your body might react with fever, coughing and sneezing.

What's the best way to stay disease-free? Prevent infections. You can prevent infections through simple tactics, such as washing your hands regularly, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, cleaning surfaces that are touched often, avoiding contaminated food and water, getting vaccinations, and taking appropriate medications.

Your doctor can perform diagnostic tests to find out if you're infected, the seriousness of the infection and how best to treat that infection. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expertise on managing health.

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A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Germs: Understand and protect against bacteria, viruses and infection. Sun and colleagues' finding unveils one secret of the phages and may be useful in phage therapy and other applications.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Science News. The attackers are called phages, or bacteriophages, meaning eaters of bacteria. The word bacteriophage is derived from the Greek "phagein," meaning eater of bacteria. ScienceDaily, 19 November How viruses destroy bacteria. Retrieved January 11, from www.