[pafben]

How did the Coronavirus get HIV proteins?

This is not a scientific post in any way. Do not take away any wrong conclusions please! People should know though that virologists are a bit puzzeled atm about how this virus got these structural features.



SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 has some interesting properties. On its outside mantle are proteins that are usually found on the HIVirus that causes AIDS. Both viruses come from completely different families but use a spike protein to get inside human cells (kind of like a key to a lock). The thing that scientists think can not be by chance is that this virus has proteins on it's wall, which are almost structurally identical to HIV. "The evolution of 2019-nCoV remains elusive" [1]



Coronaviridae (Family of the current Coronavirus)
- RNA virus
- enveloped
- viral RNA used by cells own machinery to make more virus

Retroviridae (Family of HIV)
- RNA virus
- enveloped
- viral RNA (once inside the cell) is converted to DNA and then inserted into cells own DNA, to make building blocks for more virus




For more information see the article below:

"Uncanny similarity of unique inserts in the 2019-nCoV spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 and Gag"
1. doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.30.927871 

[Dslg01]

a little knowledge is a dangerous thing

[caesar_caesar]

Interesting information sharing, didn't know about this