Researchers have found that viruses are capable of not only exchanging chemical signals but also being subjected to misinformation that affects their behavior. It turns out that these microorganisms can learn from each other, receiving both useful and false information that alters their survival strategies.
This is reported by Finway
How Viruses Choose a Strategy: Destruction or Dormancy
There is a vast diversity of species on Earth, and each of them uses information from the environment to make decisions. Viruses are no exception: when they invade a cell, they do not always start destroying it immediately. Often, they “hibernate” inside, waiting for the right moment to activate. The mechanisms that determine this choice are not yet fully understood, but understanding them could help scientists uncover new aspects of evolution and use this knowledge to combat infections.
Particular attention has been paid to bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria. They are seen as a promising alternative to antibiotics, as they can adapt to the evolution of bacteria and remain effective. At the same time, according to PhD student Rebecca Woodhams from the University of Exeter, the use of phages in medicine is still in its early stages, and researchers are trying to understand them better.
Chemical Communication and Viral Misinformation
The study revealed that the choice between destroying a cell and entering a dormant state depends on the number of available bacteria. If there are many, phages tend to actively infect, whereas when resources are scarce, they prefer dormancy. This behavior resembles survival strategies during food shortages but without seasonal signals.
Ten years ago, it was discovered that phages exchange chemical signals—peptides that inform about the amount of food. A low concentration of peptides indicates that it is potentially safe to attack, while a high concentration suggests that most hosts have already been destroyed, and it is better to wait. This mechanism in bacteria is called quorum sensing.
Scientists have established that phages can respond not only to their chemical signals but also to peptides from other species. However, this creates an additional complexity—by receiving information that is not always intended for them, viruses risk making decisions that are disadvantageous for themselves. According to Robin Manley from the University of Exeter, in such cases, phages often remain dormant even when the actual situation does not require it.
“Misinformation campaigns were actually not invented by humans—they are, in fact, an evolutionary invention,” the researchers note.
The study also showed that communication between different phage species is often one-way: virus A may recognize signals from virus B, but not vice versa. This can provide an advantage to one species while simultaneously creating risks for another that reacts to foreign signals. Thus, viral communication is not only cooperation but also manipulation for survival.
Scientists emphasize that excessive effectiveness of misinformation may lead to the emergence of mutant phage strains that can no longer detect foreign signals, which will impact the evolution of these microorganisms.