Virus Attack with Molecular Trojan Horse

In the latest January 10th issue of Cell, a discovery is published by Barends et al. of Leiden University about the artful way by which an infecting plant virus succeeds in conquering the protein factories (ribosomes) of a host cell for subsequent enforced production of viral proteins. To this aim, the virus uses a molecular ’Trojan Horse’ mimicking the shape of transfer RNA, the regular molecular ’van’ for the delivery of amino acids as protein building-stones into those factories.

In the case of Turnip Yellow Mosaic Virus, the transfer-RNA mimic appears to have also smuggled the complete viral RNA in its cargo, with a coercive programme for the production of the viral replicase enzyme. As a result of the replicase action, many new copies of virus RNA are generated in the interior of the host cell for subsequent production of a load of new virus particles. Also other RNA viruses might deploy a comparable ’Trojan Horse’ in their molecular ’struggle for life’.

From a philosophical point this novel mechanism may also inspire to further image forming about the molecular evolution of ribosomal protein synthesis at the genesis of primordial life from an RNA world.