Exam Review 1 Flashcards
What is a virus?
An infectious, obligate intracellular parasite comprising genetic material (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat and/or an envelope derived from a host cell membrane
How do viruses replicate?
replicate by assembly of pre‐formed components into many particles
How are viruses cultivated/cultured?
- primary human foreskin fibroblast (made from fresh tissues); 2. mouse fibroblast cell like (3T3); 3. HeLa cells (human epithelial cell line); NOTE: 3T3 and HeLa are continuous cell lines
What are synctia?
fusion of several cells to create 1 giant cell
What is a plaque assay?
Allows determination of viral count; series of dilutions; want the count to be between 10 and 100; add agar overlay, can later be removed for staining and counting
How can a virus be measured?
hemagglutination, electron microscopy, viral enzymes, serology, nucleic acid
How many kinds of viral genomes are there?
7
What is the key rule of viral genomes?
They must make mRNA that can be read by host ribosomes b/c they’re parasites (can’t carry out protein synthesis on their own)
What are the rules of + and - strand DNA and RNA?
mRNA is always + strand; DNA of equivalent polarity is also the + strand; RNA and DNA complements of + strands are - strands; Not all + RNA is mRNA
What is encoded in the viral genome?
Gene products and regulatory signals for: replication of the viral genome, assembly and packaging of the genome, regulation and timing of the replication cycle, modulation of host defenses, spread to other cells and hosts
What is NOT encoded in the viral genome?
No genes encoding the complete protein synthesis machinery, no genes encoding proteins involved in energy production or membrane biosynthesis, no classical centromeres or telomeres
What are examples of dsDNA viruses? (double stranded)
adenovirus, herpesvirus, papillomavirus, polyomavirus, poxvirus
How are dsDNA genomes copied?
Either by DNA pol that they bring with them or by the DNA pol from the host
How are gapped dsDNA genomes copied?
This genome can’t be copied - it has to be repaired! Reverse transcriptase helps to complete the double stranded DNA
How is ssDNA copied?
Has to be converted to dsDNA
What is unique about RNA genomic viruses?
Host cells have no RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), so RNA viruses encode RdRp, which produces RNA genomes and mRNA from RNA templates
How does dsRNA replicate?
Viruses carry RdRp; copy the + RNA strand
Which family of viruses are ssRNA + sense with DNA intermediate?
Retroviruses! (HIV, HTLV)
How do retroviruses work?
+ stranded RNA genome - looks like an mRNA… but it’s not translated! RNA is copied to a single strand of -DNA and then to double stranded DNA through reverse transcriptase (brought in w/ the particle - RNA is not translated)
What is a provirus of a retrovirus?
Integrated retroviral DNA in the host genome
What are some examples of ssRNA - sense?
paramyxovirus (measles, mumps), rhabdovirus (rabies), filovirus (ebola, marburg), orthomyxovirus (flu), arenavirus (lassa)
What is reassortment?
Typically occurs when there is a segmented genome; when 2 strains coinfect a cell, then new virus particles can also mix, enabling a lot of genetic diversity
What is the example of viral therapy in ABCD1 transporter?
Treatment for x-linked adrenoleukodystrophy; patient’s marrow derived hematopoietic stem cells infected with lentiviral vector with normal ABCD1 transporter gene; re-infused into patient; neurological status improved or stabilized
What does it mean that viruses are metastable?
Must protect the genome (stable) AND come apart on infection (unstable)
How does symmetry affect viruses?
Identical protein subunits are distributed with helical symmetry for rod-shaped viruses and platonic polyhedra symmetry for round viruses
What is helical symmetry?
Coat protein molecules engage in identical, equivalent interactions with one another and with the viral genome to allow construction of a large, stable structure from a single protein subunit (interact with each other and with the RNA - all non-covalent interactions so that they come apart)
How can you make a round capsid from proteins with irregular shapes?
all round capsids have precise numbers of proteins (multiples of 60 are common); spherical viruses come in many sizes, but capsid proteins are 20-60 kDa
What is icosahedral symmetry?
Looks like icosahedron (solid w/ 20 faces, each an equilateral triangle), allows formation of a closed shell with smallest number (60) of identical subunits; interactions of all molecules with their neighbors are identical (head to head, tail to tail, etc) - NOT covalently bound
What is an envelope?
Lipid bilayer derived from host cell (viral genome does not encode lipid synthetic machinery); acquired by budding from membrane (can be any cell membrane, but is virus-specific); nucleocapsids inside the envelope may have helical or icosahedral symmetry
How do viruses leave cells?
Released by budding or lysing, some can move from cell to cell, can be released at apical or basolateral domains
How does neurominidase affect viruses leaving cells?
don’t want to rebind to cell ; neurominidase (glycoprotein enzyme) cleaves SA from surface of the cell - as it’s inserted into the cell, it clears the surface of the cell to prevent reinfection
How does oseltamivir work? Zanamivir?
Flu inhibitors - inhibit neurominidase
When does secondary viremia occur?
As a consequence of viral replication in organs distal to the site of entry
At what layer of skin can virus replicate?
dermis
How does the skin prevent viral replication?
Skin inactivates virus by desiccation, acids, or other inhibitors on skin or by commensal organisms
What is the primary entry point for viruses?
mucosal surfaces
Why does the respiratory tract prevent infection?
- produce a lot of mucus!; 2. mucociliary escalator moves liquid from lungs to esophagus; 3. swept by cilia to esophagus where it is swallowed; 4. filtering of particles in sinuses; 5. immune cells and antibodies in lower regions
What syndromes affect the upper respiratory tract? The lower?
Upper: rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis; lower: tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, bronchopneumonia
What part of the eye can a virus infect?
sclera, conjunctiva
What is one of the big barriers in the mucosal layer that prevents systemic infection?
virus has to compromise the basement membrane, and many viruses can’t traverse this membrane
What is a sendai virus?
normally released @ apical side, but you can make a viral mutant that will release at both apical and basolateral parts of the cell - spreads sendai virus throughout the body (lethal infection) - importance of polarized spread
What are the types of viremia?
Passive (inoculation), primary (virus replicating in the first cells that it finds), secondary (replicating in distal cells, disseminated)