Viruses (Week 1) Flashcards
(171 cards)
3 things viruses cannot do on their own
1) Synthesize protein
2) Generate energy (no mitochondria)
3) Maintain ionic potential across membrane
Structure of a virus
1) Nucleic acid either RNA or DNA (ss or ds)
2) Protein capsid around nucleic acid
3) Some have envelope around capsid
Non-enveloped virus
MORE stable
Viral attachment proteins part of capsid
Transmitted fecal-oral
Ex: Hep A, poliovirus
Enveloped virus
LESS stable
Viral attachment glycoproteins on envelope (so if envelope destroyed by alcohol, attachment proteins gone too!)
Transmitted host-to-host (think skin to skin)
Ex: herpes, HIV
Why are enveloped viruses LESS stable than non-enveloped viruses?
Because envelope can easily be destroyed by alcohol, salt, etc, and the virus’ attachment proteins are on that envelope, once the envelope is gone, the virus has no way of entering/infecting a cell!
Viral life cycle (in general)
1) Enveloped virus uses its glycoproteins to attach to cellular receptor
2) Fusion of envelope with cellular membrane allows penetration of virus into cell
3) Production of empty capsids and nucleic acis
4) Empty capsids filled and pick up envelope and glycoproteins as they begin to egress
5) Viral production/completion and egress
What viral attachment proteins does influenza virus use?
Influenza virus has hemagglutinin (HA) on surface that binds to cell’s sialic acid protein to enter
Note: can surround HA with antibodies to prevent attachment/infection of cells with influenza
Types of human herpesviruses
1) Herpes simplex 1 (HSV-1)
2) Herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2)
3) Varicella zoster virus (VZV)
4) Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
5) Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)
6) Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6)
7) Human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7)
8) Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8)
Properties of all herpesviruses
1) Large double stranded DNA virus (125-240kb)
2) Enveloped virions
3) Establish life-long latent infections in host
4) Periodic reactivations from latent state
5) Diverse biology
HSV-1
Disease: fever blisters, ocular lesions, encephalitis
Site of latency: nerve ganglia
50-70% of adults seropositive
HSV-2
Disease: genital lesions, neonatal infections, meningitis
Site of latency: nerve ganglia
20-50% adults seropositive
VZV
Disease: chickenpox (primary), shingles (recurrence)
Site of latency: nerve ganglia
Sequence of events of CHICKENPOX: airborne transmission –> viremia, replication in organs, incubation of 2 weeks –> virus emerges from capillaries to skin
CMV
Disease: mononucleosis, congenital infections, immunocompromised gastritis, retinitis (AIDS pts), pneumonia (bone marrow transplant pts)
Site of latency: monocytes, neutrophils, vascular endothelia
Transmission: in utero (TORCHES), perinatally, postnatally (saliva, sexual)
Negative monospot (heterophil antibody) test
Cytopathic effect = owl’s eye (nuclear inclusions, factories making lots of viral DNA)
Treat with gancyclovir
HHV-6 and HHV-7
Disease: roseola in infants
Site of latency: T cells, monocytes, macrophages
EBV
Disease: infectious mononucleosis, Burkitt’s Lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Site of latency: B lymphocytes
HHV-8
Disease: Kaposi Sarcoma, tumors
Site of latency: virus infected tumors
Life cycle of HSV-1
Overall: get into cell, create proteins needed for DNA replication, do DNA replication, create proteins for virus to be packaged, package virus with new DNA inside and egress
1) Viral glycoproteins attach to receptors on cell membrane, allowing fusion and entry of virus into cytosol
2) Transcription (then translation) of 5 viral genes using the cell’s DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and 2 of these genes activate early gene transcription
3) 2 important early genes are DNA polymerase and thymidine kinase, which activate viral DNA synthesis
4) Rolling circle of viral DNA replication (note: acyclovir blocks this step!)
5) After DNA synthesis, THEN late proteins (capsid, viral glycoproteins) made and form empty capsids to be filled with viral DNA
6) Viral glycoproteins from first cell fuse the surrounding cells so virus plows through cells (need CD8 cell-mediated immunity to kill virus!)
HSV-1 and HSV-2 in latency
HSV-1 enters through lips or eye and establishes latency in trigeminal ganglion
HSV-2 is latent in DRG
Latent DNA exists as episomal circles and no viral proteins transcribed, only RNA for LAT (intron)
Stimuli such as UV light may cause reactivation
Why don’t we kill HSV latently infected neurons?
No viral protein made in latency so no target on cell membrane to go after to kill latently infected neurons!
How are HSV transmitted?
Skin to skin contact when there is some abrasion or chapping (cannot penetrate intact skin)
Remember though, virus can be shed asymptomatically–no sores, but still little breaks in skin!
NOT hematogenous spread!
Tissue tropism of HSV
HSV-1 causes 95% of orofacial herpes and 10-30% of primary genital herpes (NOT recurrent); anything above the belt
HSV-2 causes primary and recurrent genital infections and rarely causes oral herpes
Note: when in its tropic area, will reactivate more but if not in tropic area will not reactivate
Disease syndromes caused by HSV-1
1) Gingiviostomatitis
2) Herpes Whitlow (finger)
3) Encephalitis
4) Keratitis (ulcers on cornea)
5) Eczema makes lesions worse
Do you usually have viremia (virus in the blood) with HSV?
Not sure?!
However, have viremia in 30% of primary vaginal infections
Genital herpes
HSV-2 (definitely if recurrent, and most likely primary too)
Lesions more prone to secondary bacterial infection by S. aureus, Streptococcus, Trichomonas and Candida albicans
60% of patients experience recurrences
Recurrences usually longer than oral HSV-1 lesions