Virology Intro Flashcards
What is a simplified description of a virus?
Nucleic acid surrounded by a capsid that may or may not be surrounded by an envelope.
What is a capsid made of? envelope?
Capside: protein
Envelope: lipid membrane and proteins
**What is meant when viruses are referred as “obligate intracellular parasites”?*
Use host cell as an energy source, and host cell is the environment that facilitates replication.
Are viruses eukaryotic or prokaryotic?
**Neither. They are particles, not cells. **
Not part of taxonomic scheme
Why must viruses replicate inside host cells?
Lack metabolic system and most enzymes for protein synthesis.
What proteins do viruses depend on their hosts for?
Amino acids, nucleosides (building blocks)
Ribosomes (protein synthesis machinery)
ATP (energy)
How do viruses “replicate”?
Viruses assemble.
Do NOT reproduce sexually, asexually, or by binary fission.
What does it mean for viruses to have “limited tropism”?
Most viruses can infect only a limited number of cell types.
How is the virus protected from host’s immune response?
Its intracellular location provides protection
What is CMV?
Cytomegalovirus
A virus contains RNA or DNA?
Both RNA or DNA
What is the genetic makeup of a CMV?
DNA genome and RNA transcripts
What are the 4 categories of viral genomes, and which are unique to viruses?
dsDNA, ssDNA, dsRNA, ssRNA*
*unique to viruses
What are the 3 major categories of proteins encoded in viral genome?
- Enzymes for copying nucleic acids (replication and production of mRNA)
- Proteins for assembly
- Proteins to interfere with host defense mechanism (larger viruses)
Are most viruses haploid (1 copy of genome) or diploid (2 identical copies of genome)? what is the exception?
Most are haploid. HIV is diploid.
What poses the greatest threat of infection for dentist and staff?
Blood-borne viruses (BBV)
The greatest risk of transmission for BBV goes which way?
Patient to doctor
Transmission most often follows an inoculation injury. What is an inoculation injury?
When contaminated object or substance (by blood or fluids) break skin/mucosa, or comes into contact with eyes.
What are the 3 major BBVs associated with inoculation injury? And what are the chances of contraction?
Hep B Virus (HBV): 1 in 3
Hep C Virus (HCV): 1 in 30
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): 1 in 300
What two viruses are the most common cause of primary viral infections of the oral cavity?
Members of the HHV and HPV families: Human Herpes Virus, Human Papilloma Virus
What are the criteria for virus taxonomy? 3 for precise identification, 4 important but not necessary for precise id
Precise ID 1. Host range 2. Structure 3. Genome type (DNA, RNA, ds, ss) Not necessary 1. Genome replication strategy 2. Disease symptoms 3. Protein profile 4. Antigenic characteristics
In viral nomenclature, what are the suffixes?
Order: "-virales" **Families: "-viridae" Subfamilies: "-viriniae" (not all) **Genera: "-virus" Species: name of virus + "virus"
What is a capsid and what are its functions?
A protein coat, packages and internally confines the nucleic acid and protects the viral genome. Sometimes for host cell recognition.
The envelope that sometimes surrounds the capsid consists of what two components?
Host cell membrane (lipid bilayer) and Viral proteins
What is a naked virus?
Viral capsid without an envelope
What are the units of proteins that make up capsomeres?
Individual subunits –> Protomer –> Capsomeres
What are the two most common types of symmetrical arrangements of capsomere?
Helical (spiral or cylindrical) and icosahedral (octagonal)
All filamentous viruses are arranged into what kind of structure? What about its protein subunits?
Helical structure. Protein subunits, stacked on one another into a helical nucleoprotein filament.
What are 6 examples of viruses in helical symmetry?
Rabies, SARS, measles, mumps, influenza, and Ebola
What type of viral capsid is most common among those that infect humans?
Icosahedral capsids, minimal free energy structures.
Describe the geometry of icosahedral symmetry
20 equilateral triangles around surface of a sphere. Each triangle composed of protein capsomere subunits (usu more than 3).
The source of the envelope may include what 4 components of the host’s?
Nuclear membrane, outer membrane, Goldgi membrane, or vesicle membrane
Describe capsid assembly
Prior to envelope, automatic/spontaneous and no enzyme or energy source required
Where is the capsid assembled and the envelope acquired?
Capsid assembles independently w/in cell and then buds through membrane to acquire envelope.
What is mainly responsible for the host-cell recognition that occurs at the envelope?
Glycoproteins in the lipid membrane.
What are the three functions of glycoproteins’ attachment domains?
- Allows virus to attach to cells (host cell binding)
- Allows membrane of virus to fuse with cell membrane to facilitate entry and infection
- Cell recognition
Where are proteins glycosylated for glycoprotein and membrane synthesis?
Become glycosylated as they pass thru ER and Golgi apparatus.
In what forms can DNA viral genomes exist?
Single-stranded linear (pos or neg sense), double-stranded linear, or double-stranded circular.
In what forms can RNA viral genome exist?
Single-stranded linear (pos or neg sense), single-stranded linear neg-sense and segmented, double-stranded linear and segmented, or single0stranded circular neg-sense.
In DNA, which strand is always used as the template for mRNA during transcription?
Negative strand.
So if pos, must be converted to neg to copy into mRNA