Drosophila X virus
Encyclopedia
Drosophila X virus is a virus
that can infect fruit flies
of the genus Drosophila
and is commonly used to study innate immunity in the common model organism
Drosophila melanogaster
. The viral capsid
is roughly hexagonal and icosahedrally symmetrical. The genome
of the virus consists of two linear, double-stranded RNA
molecules. As a result, the virus is often used to study RNA interference
as a mechanism of viral immunity in Drosophila. Although widely used in the laboratory, DXV has never been found as a natural infection of Drosophila, and was originally identified in Laboratory cell culture.
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
that can infect fruit flies
Drosophilidae
Drosophilidae is a diverse, cosmopolitan family of flies, which includes fruit flies. Another family of flies called Tephritidae also includes fruit flies. The best known species of Drosophilidae is Drosophila melanogaster, within the genus Drosophila, and this species Is used extensively for...
of the genus Drosophila
Drosophila
Drosophila is a genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" or more appropriately pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit...
and is commonly used to study innate immunity in the common model organism
Model organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are in vivo models and are widely used to...
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...
. The viral capsid
Capsid
A capsid is the protein shell of a virus. It consists of several oligomeric structural subunits made of protein called protomers. The observable 3-dimensional morphological subunits, which may or may not correspond to individual proteins, are called capsomeres. The capsid encloses the genetic...
is roughly hexagonal and icosahedrally symmetrical. The genome
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
of the virus consists of two linear, double-stranded RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
molecules. As a result, the virus is often used to study RNA interference
RNA interference
RNA interference is a process within living cells that moderates the activity of their genes. Historically, it was known by other names, including co-suppression, post transcriptional gene silencing , and quelling. Only after these apparently unrelated processes were fully understood did it become...
as a mechanism of viral immunity in Drosophila. Although widely used in the laboratory, DXV has never been found as a natural infection of Drosophila, and was originally identified in Laboratory cell culture.