Basic Virology Prestudy Doc - Ryan Flashcards
What is a virus?
viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that replicate by self-assembly of individual components rather than by binary fission.
How can viruses make energy or proteins without a host cell?
they can’t fool
Can a virus contain both DNA and RNA?
no, it only has one or the other
What are the 4 classifying features of virions?
- size
- morphology
- type of genome
- mechanism of replication
What are the different types of viral genomes?
- circular or linear single-strand (ss) +RNA or -RNA (same sense or opposite sense as mRNA)
- linear double-strand (ds) RNA
- linear ss DNA
- circular or linear ds DNA
- segmented RNA (chromosome like)
Which type of viruses typically have larger genomes: DNA or RNA?
DNA
What are capsids?
protein shells that virus genomes are encapsulated in. They are rigid and can withstand environmental stress
How are capsids formed?
they are the result of self-assembly of virally-encoded capsomeres
What are the three types of capsids?
- helical
- icosahedral or spherical
- complex
What effect does shape of the viral genome have on the capsid shape?
none, the capsid shape is determined by the capsomere
what is a nucleocapsid?
genome + capsid
a naked virus
How do viruses obtain lipid-envelopes?
virally-encoded glycoproteins are inserted in the membrane and serve as virus attachment proteins and membrane fusion proteins
What is a nucleocapsid with a lipid membrane called?
enveloped virus
Which are more stable, enveloped viruses or naked viruses?
Naked viruses are more stable.
the lipid envelope makes enveloped viruses more prone to drying, detergents and alcohols, and the gastrointestinal tract
What will likely happen if an enveloped virus makes its way into the gastrointestinal tract?
it will be destroyed. enveloped viruses can not survive there
What are the major steps in viral replication?
- attachment
- penetration
- uncoating
- early transcription+synthesis of nonstructural proteins
- genome replication
- late transcription and structural proteins
- assembly
- release
What are the two ways viruses can penetrate a cell?
endocytosis or membrane fusion
Where do RNA viruses usually get their RNA polymerase? DNA viruses?
RNA viruses usually have virally encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
DNA viruses usually use host RNA polymerase (except poxviruses)
What type of DNA virus does not use host RNA polymerase?
poxviruses
Where does genome replication occur for RNA viruses?
cytoplasm
Where does genome replication occur for most DNA viruses?
nucleus (except poxviruses)
What are the two ways viruses can leave host cells?
cell lysis or budding (for enveloped viruses)
What are the mechanisms by which viruses cause patholgy?
- inhibition of cellular protein synthesis
- inhibition and degradation of cellular DNA
- alteration of cell membrane structure
- disruption of cytoskeleton
- formation of inclusion bodies
- toxicity of virion components
Which type of viral RNA is used immediately as mRNA by cellular ribosomes?
+RNA
-RNA must be used as a template to transcribe a mRNA (+RNA) strand
Describe the genome replication process for +RNA viruses.
- +RNA is immediately translated as a polyprotein, which must then be cleaved into individual proteins
- one of those cleaved protesins is a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase that transcribes -RNA strands from the +RNA
- -RNA strands are used to make more copies of +RNA strands
- +RNA copies are used as mRNA to make structural proteins and are encapsidated to produce nucleocapsids
Describe the genome replication process for -RNA viruses.
- incoming virus particles carry a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
- +RNA is formed and then translated into proteins, and is used as a template for making more -RNA
- new -RNA copies are encapsidated to produce nucleocapsids
Describe the genome replication process for retroviruses.
retroviruses carry RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase)
- +RNA is reverse transcribed into dsDNA and integrated into hose genome
- retrovirus proteins and +RNA genome are produced by host enzymes
Describe the genome replication process for DNA viruses (except poxvirus).
genome is transcribed by host DNA-dependent RNA polymerases. Many of the viruses shut-off and degrade host mRNA, use transcription factors that downregulate polymerase action on host genes.
Large viruses are dependent on virally-encoded DNA-dependent DNA polymerases.
Newly produced DNA is encapsidated to produce nucleocapsids
Where do very large DNA viruses get their DNA polymerase?
it must be carried by them. virally-encoded DNA-dependent DNA polymerase
What is a plaque?
a confluent monolayer of lysed cells in a growth plate from virus activity
What is a lysate?
the suspension of virions in culture mediu that results from unrestricted growth of a virus on a cell monolayer
Are all virus particles produced in a lysate infectious?
No. some are not
What is the particle-to-pfu ratio?
number of physical particles compared to the number of infectious virions
What is a plaque assay?
measures the number of infections virions in a given volume of lysate. Generally measured as plaque-formin units (pfu) per mL of lysate = titer.
Is a biological assay of infectivity
What is MOI?
multiplicity of infection is the ratio of the number of infectious particles to the number of target cells to be infected.
MOI =1 will infect about 60% of monolayer
MOI = 5-10 will ensure total monolayer infection