definition of virus
viruses vs unicellular organisms
Unicellular organisms:
* Protozoa, fungi, bacteria, riskettsiae, mycoplasmas, chlamydiae
* Unicellular, both DNA and RNA, binary fission
Viruses:
* Obligate intracellular, either DNA or RNA (not both)
* Two life cycles: extracellular (transmissive, inert), intracellular (reproductive)
unconventional viruses (subviral particles)
Extremely simple, replicating agents, either nucleic acid or protein
ex: viroids, virusoids, prions
viroids/virusoids
subviral particle
viroid: replicate in nucleus
virusoid: replicate in cytoplasm
mostly plant pathogens
prions
Prion proteins:
* Present in normal cells (PrPc)
* Abnormal, conformational aberration: amyloid formation (PrPsc)
virus vs prion
international committee on taxonomy of viruses naming classifications
Nomenclature: Orders, Families (subfamilies), genera(subgenera), species
* Order -virales example: Nidiovirales
* Family -Viridae example: Arteriviridae
–Subfamily -Virinae
* Genera -Virus, example; Arterivirus
–Subgenera
* Species Strain, example: Equine arteritis virus
order, family, genera in italics
how are viruses named?
non enveloped vs enveloped viruses building blocks
Non enveloped:
* Protein subunit
* Structure unit
* Capsomer
* Capsid (coat or shell)
* Nucleocapsid
enveloped:
* Building blocks of non-enveloped viruses plus Envelope: peplomer/spike, matrix proteins, lipids
spike/peplomer (glycoprotein)
important for host specificity, tissue tropism, fusion with cell membrane, infection, damages
enveloped viruses
epidemiology, pathogenesis, immunology
non enveloped virus
resistance, pathogenesis
nuclecapsid symmetry/shape
Icosahedral (Cubical): efficient package: 12 vertices, 30 edges, 20 triangles
Helical: All animal helical viruses are enveloped
nuclecapsid symmetry types
Icosahedral (Cubical): efficient package: 12 vertices, 30 edges, 20 triangles
Helical: All animal helical viruses are enveloped
chemical composition of viruses
Less complex than unicelullar or multicellular organisms
can viruses have DNA and RNA?
NO DNA OR RNA
Are viruses diploid or haploid?
all are haploid except retroviruses are diploid
which viruses are most likely to be enveloped?
helical
which viruses have generally larger genomes?
helical
structural proteins
part of virion
* Capsid/nucleocapsid: protecting genome
* Envelope protein (spike, matrix, etc)
* Number: ranging from 1 to >200
* Ligands (VAPs—viral attachment protein) for cellular receptors
nonstructural proteins
enzymes, replication regulatory proteins, not part of virion
* Polymerases (transcriptases): dsDNA/dsRNA to mRNA
* Reverse transcriptase: retroviruses (from RNA to DNA)
* Integrase: integrates proviral DNA of retroviruses into host genome
glycoproteins
viral carbohydrates
endemic (enzootic)
Multiple, continuous transmissions, disease presence in a defined population/region/time