DD 02-24-14 11am-Noon Host Responses to Viral Infections - vanDyk Flashcards
Balances in viral infections
- Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, so they must maintain a delicate balance with host in order to survive.
- Likewise, host must balance rejection of virus with collateral damage to self.
Three General Outcomes of Viral Infection of a cell
- Abortive infection or failed infection (no virus produced / no apparent effects on cell)
- Lytic infection (production of virus & death of infected cells)
- Persistent infection (chronic, latent, or transforming)
Factors determining different outcomes in viral infections
NOT hardwired.
Dependent on…
- virus
- host
- target tissue
- immune status at time & site of virus entry
EX: Virus that is cytolytic in epithelial cells may be latent in neurons (target tissue example)
EX: Virus that is latent in neurons may be reactivated upon immune suppression and thus resume productive lytic infection (immune status example)
Cytopathic effect in virus infection
Any detectable morphologic changes in host cell, including:
- Direct cell damage / death
- Indirect cell damage
Cytopathic effect of retroviruses
- usually do not cause cell death (released from cell via budding, not lysis)
- cause persistent infections
Cytopathic effects of Picronaviruses
- cause lysis and cell death in cells in which they replicate
- leads to fever, increased mucus secretion (Rhinoviruses), paralysis or death (Poliovirus)
Mechanisms of DIRECT cell damage / death
- diversion of cell’s energy
- shutoff of cell macromolecular synthesis
- competition of viral mRNA for cellular ribosomes
- competition of viral promoters & enhancers for cellular factors
- inhibition of interferon defense mechanisms
Types of cytopathic effects
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES:
- nuclear shrinking (pyknosis) & membrane proliferation
- nuclear membrane proliferation
- cytoplasmic vacuolization
- cell fusion (syncytia)
- chromosomal margination &breakage
- rounding & detachment of tissue culture cells
INCLUSION BODIES:
- virions & proteins in nucleus
- proteins & RNA in cytoplasm (Negri bodies)
- virus protein complexes & nascent virus in cytoplasm
- chromatin clumps in nucleus
Mechanisms of INDIRECT cell damage
- integration of viral genome
- induction of mutations in host genome
- inflammation
- host immune response (greatest impact)
Humoral vs. Cellular immunity roles in viral infections
Humoral = protects against reinfection Cellular = clears virus infection
Permissive vs. Non-permissive cells (for a particular virus)
Permissive cells provide the machinery & components required for completion of viral replication.
Non-permissive cells DO NOT.
A continuum from permissive to non-permissive.
Infection in non-permissive or semi-permissive cells does not result in efficient production of virus, and may not result in death of the infected cell.
Infection in non-permissive cell may result in latent or transforming infections.
Immortalization of infected cells
Some viral infections may lead to immortalization of cells either:
- directly by means of an oncogene
- indirectly by providing growth/survival advantages to infected cell
Viruses may encode genes involved in immortalization or may regualte cellular genes involved in immortalization.
Tissue tropism
Determined by…
- selective susceptibility of cells
- physical barriers
- local temp & pH
- host defenses
Selective susceptibility of cells due to…
- due to interaction of virus attachment protein with specific receptor molecule on cell
- also includes intracellular processes
Innate defenses: Soluble factors
Interferons
Cytokines
Complement
Chemokines
Innate defenses: Natural barriers
Skin Mucus Ciliated epithelium Gastric acid Tears Bile
Innate defenses: Cells
Macrophages
Neutrophils
Dendriticcells
NK cells
Intracellular restriction factors
= cellular proteins that block post-entry steps of certain virus infections
- NOT part of adaptive immune response (rather, innate), but specific for certain viruses
= potent, widely expressed, intracellular blocks to viral replication
- viruses have developed ways to antagonize restriction factors (evolve faster than hosts)
= an exciting new area of potential intervention
Examples of therapies using intracellular restriction factors
Trim5 blocks retroviruses
APOBEC blocks HIV HCV
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and Helicases (RLHs)
- mechanisms by which innante immune response senses invasion of pathogenic microorganisms
- recognize specific molecular patterns present in viral & microbial components
TLRs - stimulation effect
- Stimulation of different TLRs induces distinct signaling pathways & patterns of gene expression
- -> leads to activation of innate immunity AND instructs development of Ag-specific acquired immunity
Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like Helicases (RLHs)
- also proteins that recognize viral nucleic acids w/in infected cells (like TLRs)
- coordinate many of the same signaling pathways & patterns of gene expression as TLRs do
Interferons - what are they & why produced
- production induced by viral infection of cells
- Most viruses can induce IFN production
- leads to “flu-like” syndrome (fever, chills, nausea, malaise…)
- interfere w/ infection of neighboring cells
- interact w/cells IFNs through receptors
- induce an “anti-viral state,” characteristic of cell bound & responsive to IFN (whether or not that cell has been infected!)
Interferon types
Type I IFNs: alpha- and beta- IFN
= antiviral cytokines transiently produced & secreted by most infected cells w/in hours of infection
Type II IFNs: gamma-IFN
= produced ONLY by T cells & NK cells
IFN receptors
IFN receptors signal through Jak/Stat pathways
Control genes whose transcription is regulated by…
- ISREs (interferon-stimulated response elements) for Type I (alpha/beta) IFNs
- GAS (gamma activated site) elements for Type II (gamma) IFNs
IFNs - Anti-viral state - how it works
- optimal state to block viral replication
- alters transcription of >100 cellualr genes (both increasing and decreasing transcription)
- faciliated by dsRNA