Plant Biology Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 2180, Ardmore, OK 73402, USA.
Viruses. 2011 Jan;3(1):12-19. doi: 10.3390/v3010012. Epub 2011 Jan 17.
Although generally regarded as pathogens, viruses can also be mutualists. A number of examples of extreme mutualism (i.e., symbiogenesis) have been well studied. Other examples of mutualism are less common, but this is likely because viruses have rarely been thought of as having any beneficial effects on their hosts. The effect of mutualism on the population dynamics of viruses is a topic that has not been addressed experimentally. However, the potential for understanding mutualism and how a virus might become a mutualist may be elucidated by understanding these dynamics.
虽然通常被认为是病原体，但病毒也可以是共生体。已经对许多极端共生（即共生起源）的例子进行了深入研究。其他共生的例子则不那么常见，但这很可能是因为人们很少认为病毒对其宿主有任何有益的影响。共生对病毒种群动态的影响是一个尚未通过实验解决的问题。然而，通过了解这些动态，也许可以阐明理解共生以及病毒如何成为共生体的可能性。
