Exam 2 Flashcards
(106 cards)
What is a virus?
Small sub cellular particles that can replicate only within living host cells. Obligate intracellular parasite
Basic structure of a virus
RNA or DNA genome enclosed in a protein shell (capsid) which together are called the nucleocapsid. Some contain viral envelop, a membrane that surrounds the capsid
Who first found a virus?
Dimitri ivanovski in tobacco plants
Who found the cause of yellow fever?
Walter reed. Transmitted by mosquitos
What is the size of a virus?
10-100 nanometers
Range of nucleotides in viruses
Few thousand to 200,000
What are the four largest viruses and their size
Mimivirus- 400 nm
Megavirus chilensis- genome of 1.2 Mbp
Pandoravirus salinus- 2.47 Mbp
Pithovirus sibericum- 1.5 micrometers long and 500 nm wide
What are capsomeres?
Subunits of the capsid that are made of 1 or more polypeptides
Common shapes of the capsid and their structure
Helical morphology- capsomeres form a helix and the capsid resembles a hollow tube
Icosahedral morphology- capsomeres form a 20 sided polygon and each capsomeres makes up a face of the icosahedron
What do bacteriophages infect
Only bacteria, no plants or animals
What do enveloped bacteria infect
Animals, very few for plants or bacteria
Who discovered and coiled the term bacteriophages?
Felix d’Herelle
Host, structure, size, genome size, and genetic material of poliovirus
Humans Non-enveloped, icosahedral 30nm 7,700bp ssRNA
Host, structure, size, genome size, and genetic material of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)
Tobacco and related plants Non-enveloped, helical 300x18 nm 6,400 bp ssRNA
Host, structure, size, genome size, and genetic material of T4
E. coli Non-enveloped 200x90 nm 170,000bp dsDNA
Host, structure, size, genome size, and genetic material of variola virus
Humans Enveloped, complex 300x250 nm 186,000bp dsDNA
Host, structure, size, genome size, and genetic material of mimivirus
Amoeba Enveloped, complex 400nm 1,200,000bp dsDNA
What is an viral enveloped made of?
Plasma membrane
How do viruses bind to a host cell?
Through the viral attachment protein on the surface of a virus and the receptor with which the attachment protein interacts. (spike like structure)
3 methods a virus enters a cell
- virus attaches to cell receptor –> endocytosis is initiated –> endosome forms with the virus inside –> nucleocapsid escapes to the cytoplasm and uncoats to release the genome
- virus attaches to the cell receptor –> conformational change in the attachment protein and bound receptor initiates membrane fusion –> viral envelop fuses with plasma membrane –> nucleocapsid enters the cytoplasm and uncoats to release the genome
- virus attaches to the cell receptor–> endocytosis is initiated –> endosome forms with virus inside –> low pH of endosome initiates fusion of the viral envelop with the endosome membrane and the nucleocapsids are released
Steps from viral entry into the cell to exiting the cell
- attaches to the cell
- entry and uncoating of the viral genome
- gene expression and protein production
- genome replication
- assembly and exit from the host cell
what are the 3 hypotheses about the origin of the virus?
- coevolution hypothesis- viruses may have originated prior to or at the same time as the primordial cell and have continued to coevolve with these hosts
- regressive hypothesis- viruses may represent a form of “life” that has lost some of its essential features and has become dependant on a host
- progressive hypothesis- viruses may have originated when genetic material in a cell gained functions that allowed the DNA or RNA to replicate and be transmitted in a semi-autonomous fashion
Types of bacteriophage replication
- lytic cycle- virus enters, replicates, and lyse host cell
- lysogenic cycle (temperature phage)- phage integrates their genome into host genome (prophage), prophage genome is replicated until stress occurs and then enters the lytic phase
general process of bacteriophage cultivation
Inoculate appropriate cells with virus, as the viruses are replicated the bacterial cells die (due to lysing), and the culture starts to turn from turbid to clear as the cells die. Afterwards the culture can be filtered to get rid of cell remains