Limits to Co-infection in the Family Cystoviridae

多种病毒共同感染单一宿主在自然界中非常常见。 宿主内的相互作用可以深刻地影响疾病的严重程度和病毒传播的效率，这取决于进入宿主的病毒的确切数量。 该合并感染数量可能受到以下因素的影响：（1）经历感染的宿主种属，和/或（2）引起感染的病毒的相关性。 然而，这两个因素的相对重要性还没有得到很好的理解，目前的项目试图填补这一知识空白。 特别是，该项目使用感染细菌的病毒家族来解决这个问题。 实验室实验将研究控制合并感染数量的病毒特征的演变。 结果将显示宿主物种是否可以限制共感染病毒的数量，以及病毒是否限制某些其他病毒物种的进入，这取决于它们的遗传相关性。该项目的结果具有广泛的应用性，因为病毒是动物，植物和细菌的重要病原体。 该项目病毒的生活方式与许多人类病毒（如流感和艾滋病毒）相似。 因此，项目数据应大大有助于更好地了解病毒合并感染在人类疾病中的普遍作用。

Co-infection of a single host by multiple viruses is very common in nature. Within-host interactions can profoundly affect the severity of disease and efficiency of virus transmission, depending on the exact number of viruses that enter the host. This co-infection number can be impacted by (1) the host species experiencing the infection, and/or (2) the relatedness of viruses causing the infection. However, the relative importance of these two factors is not well-understood, and the current project seeks to fill this intellectual gap. In particular, the project addresses the question using a family of viruses that infect bacteria. Laboratory experiments will study the evolution of virus traits that govern co-infection numbers. Results will show whether a host species can limit the number of co-infecting viruses, and whether viruses restrict entry of certain other virus species depending on their genetic relatedness.Results of this project are widely applicable because viruses are important disease agents in animals, plants, and bacteria. The lifestyle of the project virus is similar to that of many human viruses (such as influenza and HIV). Therefore, the project data should contribute greatly to a better understanding of the generalized role of virus co-infection in human illnesses.