![\"Composite](\"https:\/\/cdn.sci.news\/images\/enlarge13\/image_14359e-Bas63.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nComposite representation of the complete Bas63 virion. Image credit: Hodgkinson-Bean et al., doi: 10.1126\/sciadv.adx0790.<\/p>\n
Bacteriophages of the class Caudoviricetes represent the most abundant group of viruses on Earth.<\/p>\n
Caudoviricetes includes 7 orders, 74 families, and 121 subfamilies.<\/p>\n
\u201cBacteriophages are extremely exciting in the scientific world as researchers search for antibiotic alternatives to combat the increasing risk of antimicrobial resistance,\u201d said Dr. James Hodgkinson-Bean, a researcher at the University of Otago.<\/p>\n
\u201cBacteriophage viruses are non-harmful to all multi-cellular life and able to very selectively target and kill a target bacterium.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to this, they are increasingly being researched and applied in \u2018phage therapy\u2019 to treat highly drug-resistant bacteria.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBacteriophages are exquisitely intricate viruses which infect bacteria through large mechanical structures described as \u2018tails\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the study, Dr. Hodgkinson-Bean and his colleagues explored the structure of Bas63 in molecular detail to understand how their tail works during infection.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis kind of research is important for understanding how we can select the optimal bacteriophages for therapies, and to understand the differences in infectious behavior we see in the lab,\u201d Dr. Hodgkinson-Bean said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith antibiotic resistance rising and plant pathogens threatening global food security, bacteriophages offer a promising alternative,\u201d added Dr. Mihnea Bostina, also from the University of Otago.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur detailed blueprint of a bacteriophage advances rational design for medical, agricultural, and industrial applications, from treating infections to combating biofilms in food processing and water systems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBeyond science, the 3D data \u2014 which shows the virus\u2019 rare whisker-collar connections, hexamer decoration proteins, and diverse tail fibers \u2014 may inspire artists, animators, and educators.\u201d<\/p>\n
Understanding the structure of the viruses also aids understanding of their evolution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile DNA generally serves as the best evolutionary marker in humans, the 3-dimensional structure of a virus is more informative of its distant evolutionary relationships with other viruses,\u201d Dr. Hodgkinson-Bean said.<\/p>\n
The authors found features only previously found in very distantly related viruses, revealing previously unknown evolutionary links between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know through structural studies that bacteriophages are related to Herpes viruses \u2014 this relationship is thought to extend back billions of years to before the emergence of multi-cellular life,\u201d Dr. Hodgkinson-Bean said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this reason, when we look at bacteriophage structure, we are looking at living fossils, primordial ancient beings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is something truly beautiful about that.\u201d<\/p>\n