A team of scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, has made a discovery that upturns our understanding of how some viruses multiply. The finding, published in the journal Nature, could have major implications for the development of new antiviral drugs.

Viruses are tiny, infectious agents that can only replicate inside the cells of other living organisms. Most viruses use a process called "binary fission" to multiply, in which one virus particle splits into two identical copies. However, the team at UC Berkeley found that a group of viruses called "alphaviruses" use a different multiplication process called "rolling circle replication."

In rolling circle replication, the virus's genetic material is copied into a long, single-stranded RNA molecule. This molecule is then used as a template to produce multiple copies of the virus's genome, which are then packaged into new virus particles.

The discovery that alphaviruses use rolling circle replication is significant because it means that these viruses may be more vulnerable to antiviral drugs than previously thought. Drugs that target the process of rolling circle replication could potentially prevent alphaviruses from multiplying and spreading infection.

The team at UC Berkeley is now working to develop new antiviral drugs based on their discovery. If successful, these drugs could provide a new way to treat viral infections such as chikungunya, which is caused by an alphavirus.

Source:

[Discovery upturns understanding of how some viruses multiply](https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2022-12/uocb-dur121322.php)