Virology Lectures 2020 #25: Unusual infectious agents

What is the smallest genome that can sustain an infectious agent? Might the genome of an infectious agent encode no protein? Could an infectious agent exist without a genome? These questions are answered by the amazing viroids - small RNAs that encode no proteins - satellite viruses, and prions - infectious proteins that cause diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob and bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.

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• #satellite_virus
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• #cjd
• #creutzfeldt_jacob_disease
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