Researchers have shown for the first time how Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV), which causes an aggressive skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma, initiates DNA replication in host cells. University ...

This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the sixth installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious ...

University of Pittsburgh researchers have shown for the first time how Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV), which causes an aggressive skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma, initiates DNA replication in ...

In a twist on the question, 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?', scientists have long faced a similar question about how human adenovirus replicates: 'Which comes first, assembly of the viral ...

This story is part of a larger series on viroids and virusoids, small infectious RNAs. It is also the fifth installment in a series on hepatitis D virus, a virusoid-like pathogen that causes serious ...

A common hallmark of viral genome replication is a high mutation rate, which can aid in their ability to evade new treatments and acquire resistance to once-effective antiviral medications. Now, a new ...

Every time a cell divides, it must copy its entire genome so that each daughter cell inherits a complete set of DNA. During that process, enzymes known as polymerases race along the DNA to copy its ...

DNA that humans acquired from ancient viruses plays a key role in switching parts of our genetic code on and off, a new study has found. Nearly half of the human genome consists of segments called ...

In a quiet freshwater pond in Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo, researchers have pulled from the water a microscopic giant that is forcing biologists to rethink how complex life began. The newly ...