{"id":753,"date":"2014-11-13T11:03:27","date_gmt":"2014-11-13T11:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/biosciences\/?p=753"},"modified":"2014-11-13T11:03:27","modified_gmt":"2014-11-13T11:03:27","slug":"research-seminar-recombination-in-rna-viruses-molecular-mechanisms-and-honeybee-diseases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/biosciences\/2014\/11\/13\/research-seminar-recombination-in-rna-viruses-molecular-mechanisms-and-honeybee-diseases\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Seminar: Recombination in RNA viruses: Molecular mechanisms and honeybee diseases"},"content":{"rendered":"

Professor David Evans School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick <\/strong><\/p>\n

Wednesday 19th November, 4.00 p.m., Stacey Lecture Theatre 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

RNA viruses evolve rapidly, generating large populations of diverse progeny by the combined influence of error-prone polymerases and \u2013 in cells co-infected with two related viruses \u2013 recombinants possessing hybrid genomes. Recombination, presumably because it involves significant change in virus genotype, can readily generate viruses with a virulent phenotype. Using examples of poliovirus (humans) and deformed wing virus (DWV; honeybees) I will discuss recent novel insights into the molecular mechanism of recombination and the selection and evolution of virulent recombinant viruses in the host. Our studies demonstrate that recombination is a biphasic process, involving the generation of intermediates of greater than genome-length, potentially providing a mechanistic explanation for \u201cevolution by duplication\u201d. In honeybees, virulent recombinant forms of DWV are the primary cause of overwintering colony losses by beekeepers.<\/p>\n

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