TEST 2 Intro to Virology Flashcards
Define Capsid:
The protein shell, or coat, that encloses the
nucleic acid genome.
Define Nucleocapsid:
The protein–nucleic acid complex
representing the packaged form of the viral genome.
Define Capsomeres:
Morphologic units seen in the electron microscope on the surface of icosahedral virus
particles.
Define Envelope:
A lipid-containing membrane composed of lipids, proteins, and glycoproteins that surrounds some virus particles.
Define Virion:
The Complete virus particle
Define Icosahedral:
In which the capsomeres are arranged in 20 triangles that form a symmetric figure (an
icosahedron) with the approximate outline of a sphere.
Define Helical:
In which the capsomeres are arranged in a hollow coil that appears rod-shaped. The helix
can be either rigid or flexible.
A Naked Capsid has what properties?
- It is environmentally stable to the following:
- Temperature
- Acid
- Proteases
- Detergents
- Drying
- Is released from cell by lysis
A Envelope has what properties?
- It is environmentally labile—disrupted by the following:
- Acid
- Detergents
- Drying
- Heat
- Modifies cell membrane during replication Is released by budding and cell lysis
What are the components of a naked capsid?
Protein
What are the components of a envelope?
- Membrane, Lipids, Proteins, and Gylcoproteins.
What are two examples of internal viral proteins?
- Structural: Capsid proteins of the enveloped viruses.
- Enzymes: Polymerases that synthesizes the viral mRNA.
What is the tegument?
- Structure found in herpesvirus family
- Contains regulatory proteins including transcription and translation factors that control either viral or cellular processes.
Define envelope-associated proteins?
- Membrane lipoproteins
- (lipids derived from the host membrane; proteins are virus-specific)
- Glycoproteins
- (spikes, attach to host cell receptors, viral attachment proteins (VAP)
- Matrix Proteins
- (mediate the interaction between the capsid proteins and the envelope)
What are antigenic variants?
Surface proteins that allow the viruses to evade our host defenses. These variants give it a unique serotype that antibodies must be built to fight.
Describe the Early phase of infection?
- Virus recognizes target cell
- Attachment
- Penetration of plasma membrane and taken into the cell.
- Release (uncoat) its genome into the cytoplasm.
- If necessary, deliver genome to the nucleus.
Describe the Late phase of infection?
- Starts with genome replication and viral macromolecular synthesis.
- Viral Assembly
- Release
Describe the eclipse period?
- Period in which uncoating of the genome from the capsid or envelope abolishes its infectivity and identifiable structure.
Describe the latent period?
- Extracellular infectious virus is not detected
- Includes eclipse period and ends with the release of new viruses.
Describe defective particles?
- Noninfectious particles, resulting from mutations and errors in the manufacture and assembly of the virion.
- 90-99% of particles released are defective.
Describe Burst size?
- Yield of infectious virus per cell.
Describe productive infections?
Occurs in permissive cells and results in the production of infectious virus.
Describe Abortive infections?
- Fail to produce progeny
- Occurs due to the cell being nonpermissive (unable to support the expression of all viral genes or because the infecting virus may be) or due to the viral particles being defective.
Describe Latent infection?
Occurs with the persistence of viral genomes, the expression of no or a few viral genes, and the survival of the infected cell.
What are VAPs and how do they function?
- Virion attachment proteins, or spikes, are protein molecules on the surface of the virion that bind to receptors so that adsorption occurs.
Describe Host Range?
Virus is capable of only infecting a limited range of cells. Most viruses can infect only one species.
Describe tissue tropism?
The virus only infects a certain subset of cells in the host organism.
What is the cause of host range, and tissue tropism?
Due to the presence or absence of receptors.
Describe the Early gene products?
- DNA-Binding proteins and enzymes, including virus-encoded polymerases.
- These proteins are catalytic, and only a few are required.
Describe Late viral genes?
- Encode structural and other proteins
- Many copies of these proteins are required to package the virus but are generally not required before the genome is replicated.
What is the crucial step in the takeover of the cell by the virus?
The production of the first viral mRNAs at the beginning of the infection.