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RED QUEEN. "We can think of the Red Queen's Hypothesis in terms of an unorthodox game theory. To a good approximation, each species is part of a zero-sum game against other species. Which adversary is most important for a species may vary from time to time and for some or even most species no one adversary may ever be paramount. Furthermore, no species can ever win, and new adversaries grinningly replace the losers." https://lnkd.in/e6cFJ9c View in LinkedIn

CO-EVOLUTION. "The Red Queen hypothesis proposes that host defense genes evolve to counter the adverse effects of rapidly evolving invasive viruses." https://lnkd.in/eZfCdmN View in LinkedIn

POSITIVE SELECTION. "Host genomes are continually selected to encode sensors that better recognize viruses, and viruses are continually selected to evade or disrupt these sensors. This ongoing evolutionary struggle is called a molecular “arms race”. Arms races play out in the protein–protein interactions that exist between host and virus proteins, and they drive endless rounds of “positive selection” for mutations that alter these interactions." https://lnkd.in/eGuH7sA View in LinkedIn

SINGLE MUTATION DEFENSE. "Ebola virus infects host cells by attaching its surface glycoprotein to a host cell receptor called NPC1...We mapped this resistance to a single amino acid change in the NPC1 gene of this bat...This tiny change prevents Ebola from binding to the NPC1 receptor." https://lnkd.in/eb99UC6 View in LinkedIn

25 MILLION YEAR BATTLE. "Ebola virus and bats have been waging a molecular battle for survival that may have started at least 25 million years ago. Unlike HIV or influenza virus, Ebola virus stays hidden in an unknown natural reservoir between outbreaks...some types of bats as possible viral reservoirs." https://lnkd.in/eb99UC6 View in LinkedIn

ANCIENT INFECTION. "Genes from Ebola Virus Family Found in Human Genome." https://lnkd.in/bX9m4fJ View in LinkedIn

MASSIVE REACTION. "It is not uncommon to observe about half of a cell’s transcriptome or protein abundance to change significantly during cellular transitions or infection." https://lnkd.in/eVepjNC View in LinkedIn

KEY PROTEINS. "Some pathogen- and parasite-host pairs are locked in reiterative cat-and-mouse chases, with molecular mimicry sometimes propelling the dynamics. Virus-host interactions drive a constant cycle of mutual evasion and pursuit, rapidly introducing changes into key proteins from both sources that interact with one another." https://lnkd.in/ehHgzCK View in LinkedIn

VIRAL ENTRY. "Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites: they must enter a cell to reproduce. To gain access to the cell interior, a virus must first bind to one or more specific receptor molecules on the cell surface. Cell receptors for viruses do not exist only to serve viruses: they also have cellular functions." https://lnkd.in/ePqG64s View in LinkedIn

VIRAL STRATEGIES. "Viruses seem to have evolved strategies to efficiently adapt to the scale-free and small-world architecture of the human interactome. By interacting with host hubs, viruses target the “Achilles’ heel” of the host interactome. Because of the multi-functionality of these hubs, viruses manipulate a wide range of functions. In addition, some viral proteins have also evolved the ability to interact with numerous cellular proteins." https://lnkd.in/eMcnYAH View in LinkedIn