Herpesvirus

Question 1

What type of genome do herpesviruses have?

Answer 1

They are dsDNA

Question 2

How does the classification of herpesvirus work?

Answer 2

alpha (cytolytic and fast replicating and latent infections in neurons)

beta are slow growing and establish latent infections in secretory glands and kidneys

gamma infect and form latent infections in lymphoid cells.

Question 3

What type of disease does CMV cause?

Answer 3

First, it’s a beta herpes virus. It is able to cause infectious mononucleosis. It infects the epithelia of the respiratory tracts and T lymphocytes.

Question 4

What does CMV do to modulate the immune system?

Answer 4

It can encode viral IL-10 (supressive for MHC II), it’s able encode a viral MHC I, and a T cell receptor. Because it can down modulate MHC molecules, NK cells are very important for its virulence. It’s able to down modulate MHC I by inhibiting peptide loading.