MLT503 LECTURE 2

By:
Mohd Fahmi Mastuki
Department of Medical Laboratory Technology
Faculty of Health Sciences, UiTM
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 Learning Outcomes
At the end of the session, you should be able to:

1. Describe the general properties of viruses

2. Describe the structure of viruses
3. Describe the virus genomes
4. State the effects of physical and chemical
agents on viruses

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 Virology

Virology – study of viral nature, and the

relationship between viruses and hosts.

Viruses often cause serious diseases, relate to

some cancers and congenital deformities, also
can be used as tool for genetic engineering.

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 Recognition of viruses
F How long viruses have been within our midst?
1500 BC: Leg deformities indicative of poliomyelitis, pock marks indicative of smallpox
and.

"Virus" is from the Greek

meaning for "poison" and
was initially described by
Edward Jenner in 1798.

During the 1800's, all infectious agents were considered to be viruses until Koch
developed pure culture techniques which allowed the separation and growth of bacteria. In the
late 1800's: Bacteria were purified and established as disease causing agents. It then became
possible to distinguish them from the "filterable agents", those able to pass through special
filters designed to prevent the passage of bacteria. The first viruses described were foot and
mouth disease (a picornavirus), 1898, Yellow fever (a flavivirus), 1900, Rous sarcoma virus (an
oncogenic retrovirus), 1906.
 Definition of Virus
VIRUS (latin: poison)

Viruses may be defined as acellular organisms

whose genomes consist of nucleic acid, and
which obligately replicate inside host cells using
host metabolic machinery and ribosomes to form
a pool of components which assemble into
particles called VIRIONS, which serve to protect
the genome and to transfer it to other cells.

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The Nature of Viruses

http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Polio_virus/
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/pictures/health/smallpoxvi
rus.html
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The comparative sizes of several viruses and bacteria:
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General properties of viruses

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Structure of Viruses

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 Virion

- The complete infectious unit of virus particle

- Structurally mature, extracellular virus particles.

Structure of virions (extracellular state of viruses)

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 Viral Genome

Only one type of nucleic acid is found in the virion of any particular type of virus.

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 http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/V/virus.html

A virus can have either DNA or RNA but never both !!

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Genome in virion

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 DNA RNA

double-
double-stranded single-stranded single-stranded
stranded

linear circular linear circular linear linear (circular)

single single multiple single single multiple single multiple (+)sense (-)sense

single multiple single multiple

 Viral Capsid
The protein shell, or coat, that
encloses the nucleic acid
genome - protection.

Functions:
1. Protect the viral nucleic acid.
2. Participate in the viral
infection.
3. Share the antigenicity

– Core + capsid = nucleocapsid

– In many viruses important in attachment of viruses to
specific receptors on host cells
– Composed of a large number of subunits – capsomeres
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 SYMMETRY OF THE NUCLEOCAPSID

One or more lipoprotein layers surround the

nucleocapsid in enveloped viruses.

The nucleocapsid is symmetrical, with a

precise number and arrangement of
structural subunits surrounding the virus
nucleic acid

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 Viral Envelope

Surrounds the capsid in several virus families, is

always dependent on cellular membranes
(nuclear or cell membrane, less frequently
endoplasmic reticulum).

Both cell-coded and viral proteins are integrated

in the membrane when these elements are
transformed into the envelope.

Enveloped viruses do not adsorb to the host cell

with the capsid, but rather with their envelope.
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 VIRUS
CLASSIFICATION

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History - Naming of Viruses
Usually based on data available when a virus is discovered:

 Diseases viruses are associated with, e.g.:

Poxvirus, Hepatitis virus, HIV, Measles virus.
 Cytopathology occuring during infection, e.g.:
Respiratory Syncytial virus, Cytomegalovirus.
 Site of infection, e.g.:
Adenovirus, Enterovirus, Rhinovirus, Enterovirus.

 Places where viruses were found or people who

discovered them, e.g.:
Epstein-Barr virus, Rous Sarcoma,

 Biochemical features, e.g.:

Retrovirus, Picornavirus.

Such names are not useful

for orderly classification!!!! RSV
These naming conventions can lead to confusion later
e.g.: viral hepatitis is caused by at least 6 different viruses

Enterically
“Infectious” A E transmitted

F, G,
Viral NANB ? Other *
hepatitis

Parenterally
“Serum” B C transmitted

D
* 10-20% of cases of presumed viral hepatitis are still not accounted for.
Related Herpesviruses Cause Many Different Diseases
• HSV Herpes Simplex Virus Cold sores (type 1),
Genital lesions (type 2)
• VZV Varicella Zoster Virus Chicken pox
• CMV Cytomegalovirus Mononucleosis
• EBV Epstein-Barr Virus Mononucleosis,
Burkitt’s lymphoma,
• Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

• and HHV-6, HHV-7, HHV-8…..

(Human HerpesVirus-#)

Therefore if these viruses were classified based on

their symptoms their relationships would be missed.
Thus,
Different viruses can cause (nearly) the same
symptoms. e.g., the hepatitis viruses

However, different members of the same group

can cause different symptoms. e.g., the herpes
viruses

So virologists had to devise more

orderly schemes for classification
 Meeting Classification Needs
• A universal system of viral classification and a unified
taxonomy was established by the International
Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) in
1966. The system makes use of a series of ranked
taxons, with the:
• - Order (-virales) being the highest currently recognized.
• - then Family (-viridae)
• - Subfamily (-virinae)
• - Genus (-virus)
• - Species ( eg: tobacco mosaic virus)

By the year 2000, over 4000 viruses of plants, animals and bacteria had been
included in 71 families, 9 subfamilies and 164 genera.

The ICTV seeks input from a wide range of

virologists and meets every three years to revise
the taxon.
Virus Classification is Based Primarily on Properties of the Virus Particle.

Genetic material Is Most Important!!!

form of nucleic acid
ssDNA (+ or - strand)
dsDNA
ssRNA (+ or - strand)
dsRNA
segmented RNA
genetic organization
sequence homology Rotavirus
DNA sequence
Hybridization
Morphology:
by electron microscopy
Serology:
antigenic cross-reactivity
Biological Properties have
a low priority
 BALTIMORE SCHEME
– LATEST CLASSIFICATION
Proposed by nobel laureate winner (David
Baltimore)

-Nature of genome
-Mode of replication
-Gene expression

Revised Baltimore scheme

-Based on mRNA in replication cycle
-7 clases
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The Baltimore classification system
Based on genetic contents and replication strategies of viruses. According to
the Baltimore classification, viruses are divided into the following seven
classes:
1. dsDNA viruses
2. ssDNA viruses
3. dsRNA viruses
4. (+) sense ssRNA viruses (codes
directly for protein)
5. (-) sense ssRNA viruses
6. RNA reverse transcribing viruses
7. DNA reverse transcribing viruses

where "ds" represents "double strand" and "ss" denotes

"single strand".

(+) RNA is the one which can function as mRNA for the
synthesis of proteins

(-) RNAcannot function as mRNA

 Mammalian RNA Virus Families

Several general features are evident from the classification:

 None of the dsRNA viruses are enveloped.
 The minus-strand viruses are enveloped with helical nucleocapsids.
 Most of the plus-strand strand viruses have icosahedral nucleocapsids.
 Plus strand viruses vary in having envelopes.
 Most of the plus strand viruses have a single genomic RNA.
 Animal DNA Viruses

DNA Viruses differ in many features from RNA Viruses:

Only three families are enveloped.
All families except for the poxviruses replicate in nuclei.
Many families have very complex nucleocapsids.
Comparisons of Vertebrate and Plant Viruses

Vertebrate Infecting Viruses Plant Infecting Viruses

Comparison of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Viruses

RNA

Invertebrates have DNA Viruses that are not found in Vertebrates

and fewer families of minus strand viruses.
 Comparison of Vertebrate and Bacterial Viruses

Major differences between vertebrate and bacterial viruses

SUBVIRAL PARTICLES
Viroids and Prions

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 EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL AND
CHEMICAL AGENTS ON VIRUSES

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An overview of the microbial control methods.

Fig. 11.1 Microbial control methods

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 Control of Microbial Growth:
Rate of Microbial Death

Several factors influence the effectiveness of

antimicrobial treatment.
1. Number of Microbes: The more microbes present, the more
time it takes to eliminate population.
2. Type of Microbes: Endospores are very difficult to destroy.
Vegetative pathogens vary widely in susceptibility to different
methods of microbial control.
3. Environmental influences: Presence of organic material
(blood, feces, saliva) tends to inhibit antimicrobials, pH etc.
4. Time of Exposure: Chemical antimicrobials and radiation
treatments are more effective at longer times. In heat
treatments, longer exposure compensates for lower
temperatures.
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