VIRUSES

Smallest to largest…..
Prions
Viruses
Bacteria
Fungi
Prions
®Infectious protein
®No DNA or RNA
®Normal cellular form of protein vs.
pathological form

Pathological form
found in neural
tissue and tonsils

PrP-C & PrP-Sc

Pathology
Spongiform
encephalopathy:
transmissible,
familial
Transmission: oral,
operative (neural
tissue, dura,
corneas), ???
blood
Resistance to
disinfectants
Formaldehyde
increases
infectivity
Viruses
Non-cellular
No cellular composition
Do not grow or metabolize organic materials
Produce no waste products
Do not utilize energy
Do not adapt to their environment
Reproduce only within living cells (cannot
reproduce on their own)
Size range from 20 nm (polio virus) to 300 nm
(pox virus)
Figure 18.1 Comparing the size of a virus, a bacterium, and a eukaryotic cell
Viral Shapes
Icosahedral – I.M., mumps, chicken pox and
herpes simplex

Helical – rabies and tobacco mosaic virus

Box shape – coxpox and small pox

Figure 18.2 Viral structure
The Structure Of a Virus
Viruses are
composed of a
core of nucleic
acid
The Nucleic acid
core is surrounded
by a protein coat
called a capsid
The Nucleic core is
either made up of
DNA or RNA but
never both
Viruses
Composed of genome in a capsid
DNA or RNA
Shell of protein (capsid) surrounding nucleic
acid
Capsid is composed of repeating units of
capsomeres (proteins)
Envelope, spike
Classification on basis of nucleic acid
DNA viruses: eg Herpes simplex
virus (HSV)
RNA viruses: eg influenza virus
DNA viruses: herpes simplex virus (HSV)
RNA viruses: Influenza
Capsid
Functions
Protection of NA
Attachment for
naked viruses
Enzyme
Envelope
Attachment
Entry
Assembly- matrix
proteins
Release
Proteins are viral
Lipids are host
 If the membrane envelope is
destroyed, the virus becomes
noninfectious. Why?


Bacteriophages attack
bacteria (prokaryotes)

viruses attack eukaryotic
cells.

 Viruses and bacteriophages invade
cells and use the host cell's
machinery to synthesize more of
their own macromolecules.

 Once inside the host the
bacteriophage or virus will either
go into a Lytic Cycle -
 destroying the host cell
during reproduction.
 or
 It will go into a Lysogenic Cycle
-a
Viral effects on host cells
Degeneration (cytopathic effect): CMV
Cell lysis
Cell fusion, syncytia formation: RSV
Cell proliferation

Transformation: malignancy (parvoviruses)

Latent infection - no sign of infection until
reactivation
 ‘cold sores’ (HSV)
 chickenpox  shingles (VZV)
 Mode of Attack
DNA to mRNA to Ribosomes to
make new viruses

RNA to Ribosomes to make new
viruses

Result – the cell dies
HIV is a retrovirus injecting the enzyme, reverse
transcriptase into the cell to copy viral RNA into
DNA.
V iru se s a re h o st sp e cific – a p ro te in o n th e su rfa ce o f th e viru
h a s a sh a p e th a t m a tch e s a m o le cu le in th e p la sm a m e m b ra
o f its h o st, a llo w in g th e viru s to lo ck o n to th e h o st ce ll.
HIV doesn’t target just any cell, it goes right for the
cells that want to kill it. “Helper" T cells are HIV's
primary target. These cells help direct the immune
system's response to various pathogens.
 Pathways
Lytic = RNA or DNA routes

Lysogenic = RNA to DNA to
mRNA to Ribosomes – A
reverse route through the
cell.
Figure 18.3 A simplified
viral reproductive cycle
Figure 18.6 The reproductive cycle of an enveloped virus
Figure 18.4 The lytic cycle of phage T4
Figure 18.5 The lysogenic and lytic reproductive cycles of phage  , a temperate phage
The Lytic Cycle
The Lysogenic Cycle
Vaccines
Viruses grown on chicken embryos are
attenuated vaccines

Another type of vaccine is made by heat
killing the virus
CMV hepatitis

owl eye effect inclusion body

Varicella zoster virus (VZV)

®VZV: Chickenpox
®VZV: Shingles
®Re-activation of
latent infection
®Suppression of
cell mediated
immunity
Strategy of
replication
Lytic
Temperate
