Exam #1: Medical Virology Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the general characteristics of viruses.

A
  • Acellular
  • Obligate parasite i.e. do NOT carry out own metabolism & lack organelles/ ribosomes
  • 20-300 nm in size–same size are smallest bacteria
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2
Q

What are the different types of virions? Which is generally more vulnerable to the environment?

A
  • Capsid (protein coat as exterior)

- Enveloped (lipid coat exterior, outside of capsid) & more vulnerable

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3
Q

What is the matrix or tegument of a virus?

A

Space between the capsid & envelope

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4
Q

What are the different types of genomes that viruses may contain?

A
  • Segmented or continuous
  • DNA or RNA
  • Double stranded (ds) or Single stranded (ss)
  • Positive or negative sense
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5
Q

What is the difference between positive & negative sense?

A
  • Positive= in correction orientation for translation i.e. like an mRNA molecule
  • Negative= opposite orientation needed to be a direct template for translation i.e complementary to mRNA
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6
Q

How are viruses classified?

A
  • Genome (which tells how the virus replicates)

- Class of disease caused

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7
Q

What family of viruses contains ssDNA?

A

Paroviridae

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8
Q

What families of viruses contains dsDNA?

A
Papovaviridae
Adenoviridae
Herpesviridae
Poxviridae 		
Hepadnaviridae
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9
Q

What is the family of dsRNA viruses?

A

Revoviridae

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10
Q

What are the families of -ssRNA viruses?

A
Orthomyxoviridae 
 Paramyxoviridea 
 Rhabdoviridae 
 Bunyaviridae 
 Arenaviridae 
 Filvoiridae
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11
Q

What are the families of +ssRNA viruses?

A
Togaviridae
Flavaviridae
Coronaviridae
Retroviridae
Picornaviridae
Caliviridae
Hepeviridae
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12
Q

What are the properties of RNA viruses?

A
  • RNA is more labile (liable to change/easily altered) & transient than DNA
  • Replicate quickly
  • Cells cannot replicate RNA; thus, RNA viruses must encode an RNA-dependent-RNA polymerase
  • Prone to mutation b/c polymerase does NOT have proofreading mechanisms

Clinical impact= RNA viruses are more adaptable to environment & more easily evade the immune system

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13
Q

What are the three major forms of capsids?

A
  • Helical- slinky
  • Icosahedral- 20 sided dye
  • Complex- less ordered than icosahedral & in large viruses
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14
Q

What is a Naked Capisd?

A
  • Virus does not have an envelope & uses the capsid as its outermost shell
  • Spread by lysis–> must kill cell to spread
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15
Q

What are the clinical implications of having a naked capsid?

A
  • Environmentally stable
  • Spread easily
  • Dry out & retain infectivity
  • Survive in adverse conditions
  • Resistant to detergents & poor sewage treatment
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16
Q

What is an enveloped virus & what are the characteristics of enveloped viruses?

A

Enveloped virus= has lipid layer outside of capsid

  • Environmentally labile
  • Modify cell membrane during replication
  • Released by lysis or budding (not killing cell for release)
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17
Q

What are the clinical implications of enveloped viruses?

A
  • Must remain wet
  • Cannot survive in GI tract
  • Spread in large droplets
  • Do NOT need to kill cell to spread
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18
Q

What are the six major steps of the viral lifecycle?

A

1) Attachment
2) Entry– getting past the cell membrane
3) mRNA production
4) Protein & genome synthesis
5) Virion assembly
6) Egress

19
Q

Describe the process of attachment & entry of a virus into a host cell.

A
  • Attachment= Molecules on the exterior of the cell bind to the surface of the host cell (via receptors)
  • Entry= direct fusion or via high-jacking the receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway
20
Q

How do dsDNA, ssDNA, dsRNA, +ssRNA, & -ssRNA differ in how they translate mRNA?

A
  • DsDNA= use cellular machinery to produce mRNA
  • ssDNA= use cellular DNA repair enzymes to produce dsDNA, then use RNA polymerase
  • +ssRNA=
    ○ Retrovirus use viral reverse transcriptase to make dsDNA
    ○ Others= use virus as mRNA
  • -ssRNA= need enzyme, viral RNA-dependent-RNA polyermase (RdRp) to make +mRNA
  • dsRNA also use RdRp
21
Q

How do DNA viruses combat the fact that cellular DNA replication machinery is not available at all times?

A
  • dsDNA= often contain potent transcriptional activators that act as “turbo boosters”
  • encode own DNA replication machinery e.g. Herpes
  • encode proteins that push the cell into S-phase
22
Q

How do + & -ssRNA viruses combat not having RdRp?

A
  • +ssRNA viruses encode a RdRp

- -ssRNA viruses encode & carry RdRp

23
Q

What is the general pathway to viral assembly & egress?

A

1) Individual viral proteins form into capsid subunits
2) Subunits combine to form complete capsid
3) Viral genome and other essential virion components are selectively packaged into capsids
4) Exit

24
Q

How does the egress of lytic viruses differ from non-lytic viruses?

A
  • Lytic= rupture the plasma membrane of infected cells & spill out, killing the host cell in the process
  • Non-lytic= egress without lysing
25
Q

What are the mechanisms that pressure viruses to change & become more effective antigens?

A
  • Point mutation
  • Recombination (DNA viruses only)
    ○ HSV
  • Reassortment (segmented) e.g. Influenza has 8 segments & after replication there can be a shuffling of segments–>dramatic changes in antigenicity
26
Q

What is the difference between acute, chronic, & latent infection types?

A

Acute= virus killed off by immune system after infection & symptoms resolve
- Common cold
Chronic= infection followed by incomplete immune response (though asymptomatic, patients can infect other & are considered carriers)
- Hepatitis
Latent= starts similarly to acute & virus killed; however, virus goes dormant & is then reactivated
- Herpes

27
Q

How do viruses get into the body?

A
  • Oral
  • Conjunctiva
  • Skin
  • Transplacental
  • Droplet
  • Direct inoculation (insect bite, trauma, injection)
  • Sexual transmission
28
Q

How do viruses cause cellular injury?

A

Cytopathic effect

29
Q

What is the cytopathic effect?

A

Structural changes in the host cells that are caused by viral invasion

30
Q

What is a plaque assay?

A

Plaque assay= diagnostic technique using cytopathic effect

- Infection leads to a "patch" or clearing or plaque 
- Note, 1 plaque= 1 virus-- quantification 
- ONLY way to determine INFECTIOUS virus
31
Q

What is the only way to determine if a virus is infectious?

A

Plaque assay

32
Q

What does a Plaque assay detect? What are the advantages & disadvantages of the technique?

A
Detects= Infectious virus 
Advantages= demonstrates active viral infection
Disadvantages= restricted to viruses that replicate in culture & produce cytopathic effect
33
Q

What does electron microscopy detect? What are the advantages & disadvantages of the technique?

A
Detects= Virion particles 
Advantages= Helpful in identification of emerging viruses 
Disadvantages= expensive & challenging
34
Q

What does an ELISA assay detect? What are the advantages & disadvantages of the technique?

A
Detects= Viral proteins & glyocproteins
Advantages= sensitive & quick
Disadvantages= requires a specific antibody
35
Q

What does PCR detect? What are the advantages & disadvantages of the technique?

A
Detects= DNA genomes
Advantages= highly sensitive 
Disadvantages= DNA sequence information must be available
36
Q

What does RT-PCR detect? What are the advantages & disadvantages of the technique?

A
Detects= RNA genomes
Advantages= Highly sensitive 
Disadvantages= RNA sequence information must be available
37
Q

What does a Western Blot detect? What are the advantages & disadvantages of the technique?

A
Detects= Anti-viral antibodies 
Advantages= sensitive & quick 
Disadvantages=
- Time required for immune response 
- Difficult to differentiate present from past infections
38
Q

What is a virion & what are the components of a virion?

A

Virion= a complete virus particle that consists of:

1) Nuclei acid genome
2) Capsid or protein coat

39
Q

What is a nucleocapsid?

A

Capsid that lies interior to the lipid layer of an enveloped virus

40
Q

In an enveloped virus, where does the lipid membrane come from?

A

Lipid membrane is derived from host membrane structures that are then modified by the virus

41
Q

What is the only virus that is able to synthesize its own envelope?

A

Poxvirus

42
Q

What is the difference between direct fusion & high-jacking the receptor mediated endocytosis pathway for entry?

A

Direct Fusion=

  • Enveloped virus ONLY
  • Viral proteins promote fusion with host cell membrane & capsid is released directly into cytoplasm
  • Fusion proteins remain embedded in membrane & can cause subsequent fusion reaction with neighboring cells

High-jacking=

  • Enveloped or capsid virus
  • Using the receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway, plasma membrane around entire virion
  • If enveloped, viral & plasma membrane fuse prior to release of capsid into the cytoplasm
43
Q

What are the steps of viral pathogenesis?

A

1) Host invasion
2) Primary viral replication
3) Spread
4) Cell injury
5) Host immune response
6) Viral clearance or establishment of chronic or latent infection