18, 19 - Antiviral Flashcards
(96 cards)
Do viruses contain DNA and RNA?
Contain DNA or RNA surrounded by uncomplicated protein coat (serves as cell membrane)
Do viruses have a lipid bilayer?
More complex viruses do
Can viruses replicate on their own?
- No, they require living cells to do so
- Exist at interface of living and non-living organisms
Do viruses conduct their own metabolic processes?
No, dependent on host cell
What happens to viruses during replication in host cells?
Lose organized structure
What are the shapes of viruses?
- Helical
- Polyhedral
- Spherical
What happens when DNA virus enters a host cell?
- Enters nucleus of host cell, where viral DNA is transcribed into mRNA by host cell RNA polymerase
- mRNA is translated into virus-specific proteins that facilitate assembly, maturation, and release of newly formed virus into surroundings
What is the difference between DNA and RNA viruses?
- DNA viruses rely on host cell to synthesize mRNA
- RNA viruses rely on enzymes in the virus itself to synthesize mRNA
What features are used to characterize viruses?
- Nucleic acid content (DNA or RNA)
- Viral morphology (helical, icosahedral)
- Site of replication in cell (cytoplasm or nucleus)
- Coating (enveloped or non-enveloped)
- Serological typing (antigenic signatures)
- Cell types infected (B or T lymphocytes, monocytes)
Estimated that viruses cause __% of infectious diseases in developing countries
60%
Why is development of antivirals difficult?
- Viruses won’t grow in simple culture media
- Need mammalian-derived cell cultures, making drug screening techniques very difficult
- Viruses have much simpler biochemistry than bacteria, meaning fewer potential drug targets
- Viral infections don’t appear until well established, making tx more difficult
What is an antiviral?
Chemical compound that may inhibit various biochemical targets or arrest biochemical events
What are the 7 stages of viral infection?
- Absorption (attachment to specific receptors)
- Penetration (entry of virus into cell)
- Uncoating (release of viral nucleic acid from coat)
- Transcription (production of viral mRNA)
- Translation (synthesis of viral proteins and nucleic acids, using host cell processes)
- Assembly (of viral particles)
- Release (of virus from cell by budding and rupture)
What is chemoprophylaxis?
Administration of medication for prevention of disease or infection
Which drugs are adamantanamines? What is their mechanism?
- Amantadine and rimantadine
- Interfere w/ penetration of host cells by viruses and block early stage replication (uncoating); also affect a later step involved in viral assembly
What are adamantanamines used for?
Prevention and treatment of influenza type A
What are neuraminidase inhibitors?
- Enzymes that function in early activation steps of the virus
- Important in enhancing penetration of viruses into host cells
Which drugs are neuraminidase inhibitors? What does each drug do?
- Zanamivir – inhibits neuraminidase by binding to active site of sialic acid-sugar bond cleavage (guanidino group key for competitive inhibition)
- Oseltamivir – orally active competitive inhibitor (prodrug, ethyl ester allows for oral bioavailability; non-polar 3-pentyl group key for max binding)
What is the function of neuraminidase?
- Found on surface of virus
- Cleaves sialic acid containing receptor
- Neuraminidase specifically catalyzes breakdown of glycosides containing neuraminic acid
- Allows for new virions to be released
What are interferons?
- Extremely potent cytokines that possess antiviral, immunomodulating, and anti-proliferative actions
- Synthesized by host cells in response to various inducers, and elicit anti-viral activity
What happens when interferons bind to cellular receptors?
Induce synthesis of a cascade of antiviral proteins
What do interferons inhibit to have anti-viral effects?
- Viral penetration or uncoating
- mRNA synthesis
- Translation of viral proteins
- Viral assembly and release
Interferons predominantly inhibit ____ synthesis
Protein
Which interferons are used clinically? For what purposes?
- Interferon alpha used in recombinant form
- Interferon beta used for tx of MS