In Shocking Discovery Scientists Find Viruses Growing On Each Other

The researchers made this discovery by looking at environmental samples containing a family of bacteriophage satellites.

Researchers in the US have made a shocking discovery as they saw viruses latching onto each other. Two 'Bacteriophage' viruses have used each other to help replicate. "No one has ever seen a bacteriophage - or any other virus - attach to another virus," lead study author Tagide deCarvalho said in a statement. The study suggests there may be many more cases of this kind of relationship waiting to be discovered.

The study was published in the journal of the International Society of Microbial Ecology on October 31. The study explains when a satellite virus infiltrates a cell, it tries to rely on helper viruses in order to replicate their DNA. Live Science report says that the satellite and helper sometimes need to infect the same cell simultaneously, so they need to be close to each other during the process. However, the new research says that satellites actually attach themselves to a helper. It attaches itself to a virus "neck". 

The researchers made this discovery by looking at environmental samples containing a family of bacteriophage satellites that infect Streptomyces bacteria.