Brett's Flashcards
Influenza Virus genome
- RNA virus
- The genome consist of 7-8 RNA fragments, each coding for a viral protein
- 8 genes are responsible for the translation of 10-11 viral proteins.
Influenza virus structure
- Nucleocapsid: RNA enclosed in a protein coat
- Surrounded by a lipid envelope
- Two glycoproteins present: HA and NA
Influenza Virus Lifecycle in detail
- HA binds to cell GP at a Sialic Acid binding site
- Clathrin-coated pit endocytoses virion
- Conformational change: hydrophobic binding of HA to vesicle membrane - RNAs are released into cytoplasm for replication and transcription (vRNA and mRNA)
Influenza Virus lifecycle
- The flu virus binds onto sugars on the surface of epithelial cells such as the nose, throat, lungs of mammals and intestines of birds
- Binding of the virus to the cell allows it to initiate its entry in the cell
- Two glycoproteins allow the binding and release of the virus from the surface of cells
- These proteins are integral membrane proteins (IMP) of the virus
Neuraminidase
- Allows release of the newly formed viruses within the host
- Determinant of disease severity
Hemagglutinin (HA)
- responsible for pathogenicity of the virus
- allows virus to adhere to endothelial cell sin the respiratory tract
- main determinant of immunity.
Influenza:
Viral transcription of Translation
- accessory proteins and vRNA form a complex
- transported in the cell nucleus. RNA dependent RNA polymerase begins transcribing complementary positive sense vRNA
vRNA has two fates
- exported into the cytoplasm/translated (mRNA)
- remains in the nucleus (cRNA), replication of vRNA occurs in the nucleus.
Influenza:
Production of viral mRNA
- The viral endonuclease (packaged in the influenza virus) snips off 13-15 bases from the 5’ end of the host mRNA
- Used as a primer for viral mRNA synthesis (all flu mRNA’s have a short stretch at the 5’ end which is derived from host mRNA
- The viral RNA replicase extends the primer and copies the template into complementary plus sense mRNA and adds a poly (A) tail
- Transcription results in 8 primary transcripts, one transcript per segment. So give rise to alternative transcripts
- 8 segments, last two have splice variance
Influenza:
Replication of viral RNA
- RNA replication occurs in the nucleus using RNA replicase
- A full length, exact complementary copy of virion RNA is made (cDNA)
- cRNA is then used as a template for full length minus strand synthesis
- New minus strands can be used as a template for replication, mRNA synthesis or packaged.
Influenza:
Release of newly formed influenza viruses
- Replicated vRNA, RNA replicases and other viral proteins are assembled into virions
- HA and NA cluster into a cell membrane bulge
- Virion leaves the nucleus and enters the membrane protrusion
- Mature virus buds from cell in host membrane containing HA and NA
- HA binding virus to cell surface via receptors containing sialic acid
- NA cleaves receptors allowing release of virus
M-/T-tropic HIV
Two types of HIV strain in virus transmission
Early HIV transmission (virus in M-tropic)
- gp120 is able to bind to CD4 and chemokine receptors, CCR5
- found on macrophages
- occurs in 90% cases
Late phase HIV infections (virus is T-tropic_
- gp120 capable of binding to CD4 and chemokine receptor CXCR4
- found on T-lymphocytes
- phenotypic switch from M-tropic
HIV:
Reverse transcription
- Viral reverse transcriptase (VRT) becomes active in cell cytoplasm
- Conversion of viral RNA into double stranded viral complementary DNA (cDNA) commences
- Reverse transcription is extremely error prone
- VRT also has ribonuclease activity and DNA polymerase activity
- -viral RNA degraded during the synthesis of cDNA
- -creates a sense DNA from the antisense cDNA
- cDNA and its complement form a double stranded viral DNA that is then transported into the cell nucleus
- vDNA integrates into the host cell genome (provirus). Carried out by viral enzyme called integrase
HIV:
Viral replication
- Integrated DNA provirus transcribed into mRNA
- mRNA spliced into smaller pieces. Exported from the nucleus in the cytoplasm
- mRNA translated into the regulatory protein (tat, rev)
tat=encourages new virus production
rev-protein accumulates in the nucleus. Binds virus mRNA, allowing unspliced mRNA to leave the nucleus.
HIV:
Retrovirus Replication Cycle
- Fusion of HIV to the host cell surface
- HIV RNA, reverse transcriptase, integrase and other viral proteins enter the host cell
- Viral DNA is formed by reverse transcription
- Viral DNA is transported across the nucleus and integrates into the host DNA
- New viral RNA is used as genomic RNA and to make viral proteins
- New viral RNA and proteins move to the cell surface and new immature HIV forms
- The virus matures by protease releasing individual HIV proteins
HIV:
Retroviral genome
- Retrovirus contains two copies of the RNA genome held together by multiple regions of base pairing
- The RNA complex also includes two molecules of a specific celluar RNA (tRNA lys) that serves as a primer for the initiation of reverse transcription
- The primer tRNA is partially unwound and H-bonding near the 5’ end of each RNA genome in a region called the prier binding site.