Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Information catastrophe in RNA viruses through replication thresholds.

Ricard V Solé1, Josep Sardanyés, Juana Díez

  • 1ICREA-Complex Systems Lab, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (GRIB), Dr Aiguader 80, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. ricard.sole@upf.edu

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|November 10, 2005
PubMed
Summary

RNA viruses face an error threshold impacting genetic stability. This study shows a replication threshold below which viral populations collapse, evidenced by Hepatitis C virus data.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Nonstandard viral genomes as engines of viral evolution: ecological roles, evolutionary consequences, and insights from mathematical modeling.

Current opinion in virology·2026
Same author

Translational repression of viral RNAs supports persistent arbovirus infection in mosquitoes.

PLoS biology·2026
Same author

Characterising Epigenetic Tipping Points using a Spectral Dimension Reduction Approach.

Bulletin of mathematical biology·2026
Same author

Coronaviruses reprogram the tRNA epitranscriptome to favor viral protein expression.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Mitochondrial priming in therapy-induced senescence: implications for CAR-T/NK immunosenolytic therapy.

Frontiers in immunology·2025
Same author

Identification and characterization of novel bat coronaviruses in Spain.

PLoS pathogens·2025

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • RNA viruses exhibit high mutation rates near their error threshold, risking genetic information loss.
  • Exceeding the error threshold leads to an 'error catastrophe,' causing loss of genetic information.
  • Viral population stability is also influenced by replication rates, with critical thresholds existing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the theoretical concept of a replication threshold in RNA viruses.
  • To provide evidence for a critical replication rate below which viral populations cannot survive.
  • To interpret existing Hepatitis C virus data through the lens of a replication threshold model.

Main Methods:

  • A simple theoretical model was developed to simulate viral population dynamics.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The model was used to explore the relationship between replication rates and viral survival.
  • Existing Hepatitis C virus population analysis data was re-examined in light of the model.

    • Main Results:

    • The study provides theoretical evidence for a replication threshold in RNA viruses.
    • The model demonstrates that below a certain replication rate, viral populations experience collapse.
    • Available Hepatitis C virus data supports the existence of such a replication threshold.

    Conclusions:

    • RNA virus survival is critically dependent on maintaining replication rates above a specific threshold.
    • The concept of a replication threshold offers a complementary view to the error threshold for viral genetic stability.
    • This framework helps explain viral population dynamics and potential collapse, as seen in Hepatitis C virus outbreaks.