L3 Virology Flashcards
what are viruses
obligate intracellular parasites
what is the structure of a virus
nucleic acid surrounds by protein capsid (some also have lipid membrane - from host cell, acquire lipid membrane through one of the membranes in the eukaryotes e.g. cytoplasmic membrane)
how do viruses enter cells
via interaction with specific cell receptors (lock and key) = TROPISM (which cells, tissues, organisms can the virus infect)
how do viruses replicate when in host
host cell machinery is hijacked resulting in synthesis of new virus
how are viruses released
by budding (enveloped viruses) or by cell lysis or via the secretory pathway
what viruses dont result in a disease
orphan viruses
what can viruses infect
bacteria
plants
animals
humans
what is transmission electron microscopy
electrons pass through thin fixed specimen
electrons are blocked by it
electrons transmitted through specimen according to electron density
what is scanning electron microscopy
specimen often immobilised and fixed on grid
electron interact with surface and back scattered also make x rays- both detected
gives surface topography
what is scanning EM good for
viruses without lipid membrane (rigid structure)
what is cryo-electron microscopy
specimen unfixed
immobilised by freezing to near zero temp
preserves native structural features
cyro-electron tomography uses 2D images to build 3D pic
what is the effect of reducing the temp in cryo EM
reduce energy of virus so stop vibrating can see the virus
what is a virion
virus particle
what nucleic acid does a virus carry
RNA or DNA
what nucleic acids do most viruses have
RNA
what surrounds the virus
nucleic acid plus protein = nucleocapsid
how are capsids arranged
in symmetrical patterns
most energetically favourable state
what is the most favourable state for HIV
helical nucleocapsid with icosahedral core
where do viruses get the lipid envelope
host cell membrane
how viruses attach to cells
some of the virus proteins are involved in cell attachment and entry, (usually on the surface to allow virus to stick to cell they want to infect)
what sort of enzymatic functions do viruses have
copying viral genome (polymerases)
trimming viral proteins (proteases)
other modifying enzymes
what microscopy can see most viruses
electron
what is the hierarchical classification system
grouped according to shared properties
- nucleic acid
- capsid symmetry
- presence/absence of envelope
- size
- ss/ds
what is the family suffix
-viridae
what is the genera suffix
-virus
ICVT hierarchy of viral taxa
(order) > family > (sub-family) > genus > species