Phase Transitions form Virus Replication Compartments in Cells

Post by Carsten Hoege

Zoltan’s paper is out!

Former postdoc Zoltan Maliga worked with the Whelan lab on VSV (Vesicular Stomatitis Virus). RNA viruses like VSV compartmentalize their replication machinery to evade detection by the host. However, it has been unclear how the virus can concentrate the machinery for RNA synthesis. Now it is shown that the replication compartments have liquid like properties and form by phase separation. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) seems to play an important role in host-pathogen interactions.

Phase Transitions Drive the Formation of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Replication Compartments. Heinrich BS, Maliga Z, Stein DA, Hyman AA, Whelan SPJ. MBio. 2018 Sep 4;9(5). pii: e02290-17. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02290-17.