virology

Nature Communications, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-72986-5 Combining NMR spectroscopy, AlphaFold modelling and biolayer interferometry, hepatitis B virus protein X (HBx) is shown to mask human Spindlin1 through a zinc-finger mediated interaction, blocking histone binding and altering transcriptional control.

IntroductionThe vaginal microbiome plays a central role in women’s health by supporting immune function, maintaining mucosal homeostasis, and preventing infections. Spaceflight and its analogs can induce acute physiological stress, which can alter host microbiome interactions. While other studies have analyzed the microbiome changes at certain body sites, the female-specific microbiome changes ha…

PurposeThe incidence of exertional heat stroke (EHS) has increased markedly in recent decades. Although intestinal barrier dysfunction and gut microbiota alterations are increasingly implicated in EHS pathophysiology, the respective contributions of heat exposure and physical exercise to these processes remain incompletely defined.MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were assigned to Control (C), Exercise (E…

This book assembles experts from diverse fields to highlight aspects of and insights into epigenetics, RNA networking, virology, genetics, and cell biology that must be part of the Integrative Theory of Evolution. This theory illuminates how the abundance of epigenetic regulations, RNA group interactions, the role of viruses in cellular host organisms, and cell identity drive evolutionary process…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-49431-0 Tobacco rattle virus triggers local defense and systemically coordinates taxoid biosynthesis in Taxus baccata revealed by integrated metabolic analysis

Scientific Data, Published online: 24 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41597-026-07491-x Two-hourly resolved microbial and viral dynamics in the subtropical Daya Bay

Nature Communications, Published online: 24 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73490-6 The authors show that only 10 viral particles are sufficient to infect a cow’s udder with H5N1. Although milk contains high levels of virus, laboratory tests show no evidence of transmission through inhalation or shared milking devices.

Betacoronaviruses have now caused three major outbreaks in recent memory. Drugs like Ensitrelvir provide scientists with a valuable starting point against this entire sub-family of viruses, possibly allowing humankind to respond more quickly when the next virus will inevitably emerge

A new study has found that a dangerous virus carried by rodents may be far more common in parts of the Pacific Northwest than scientists once believed. Researchers studying rodents in Washington and Idaho discovered that many animals were infected with the Sin Nombre virus, a hantavirus that can cause a severe and sometimes deadly […] The post Dangerous Hantavirus found in nearly one-third of rod…

A study led by researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) has identified a mitochondrial "checkpoint" that enables dendritic cells to efficiently activate T lymphocytes against viruses and tumors.

Researchers studying rodents in the Pacific Northwest have uncovered surprising evidence that a potentially deadly virus may be quietly circulating much more widely than experts once thought. The virus, known as the Sin Nombre virus, can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but very dangerous lung disease in humans. The study was carried out by […] The post Scientists discover worrying spr…

Nature Communications, Published online: 22 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73570-7 Phages can use enzymes (depolymerases) that degrade capsular polysaccharides to initiate infection of their bacterial hosts. Here, the authors characterize a diverse set of 129 Klebsiella phage depolymerases, defining five enzyme classes, revealing cross-reactivity, and linking enzyme’s specificity to structure.

BackgroundEpstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a widespread oncogenic virus associated with multiple human malignancies. Accurate detection of EBV DNA is essential for disease screening and monitoring; however, commonly used methods such as quantitative PCR require specialized instruments and laboratory infrastructure, limiting their applicability in resource-limited settings.MethodsAn isothermal nucleic …

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen have shown that giant viruses long thought to exist only as fleeting, free-living particles that can embed themselves permanently in the genome of a multicellular host, lie dormant for generations and then wake up on demand. The study chal...

The Sin Nombre virus – a hantavirus that can cause a deadly respiratory disease in humans – may be more widespread among rodent populations in parts of the Pacific Northwest than previously recognized.

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 21 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02393-5 Author Correction: Acarbose redirects gut microbiome utilization of dietary carbohydrates to suppress anaphylaxis in mice

The critters were carrying the Sin Nombre variant of hantavirus, which can be spread from rodents to humans, but not from one person to another