Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV):

Overview
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) presents a complex knot for scientists to unravel. After initial contact and attachment to a cell of the immune system (e.g. lymphocytes, monocytes), there is a cascade of intracellular events. The endproduct of these events is the production of massive numbers of new viral particles, death of the infected cells, and ultimate devastation of the immune system. However, the knot IS becoming unraveled. These pages attempt to simplify HIV infection at the cellular level. The following diagram shows a number of steps from initial attachment of a viral particle to a lymphocyte through budding of new viruses from that cell.

1. ATTACHMENT Getting in 2. REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION From viral RNA to DNA 3. INTEGRATION, TRANSCRIPTION a. Viral DNA joins host DNA b. Making multiple viral RNAs 4. TRANSLATION Producing viral proteins 5. VIRAL PROTEASE Cleaving viral proteins 6. ASSEMBLY & BUDDING Getting out

Oh Goodness, My E. coli has a Virus!

Viruses and Bacteria

It's easy to mix these up since compared to us, both are VERY SMALL. But... Bacteria, given the proper nutrients, can grow and reproduce on their own, but... Viruses cannot "live" or reproduce without getting inside some living cell, whether it's a plant, animal, or bacteria. And compared to viruses, bacteria T4 bacteriophage is a virus that looks like an alien landing pod. With its six legs, the bacteriophage attaches to the surface of the much larger bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli).

are

huge (see HowBig).

Once attached, the bacteriophage injects DNA into the bacterium. The DNA instructs the bacterium to produce masses of new viruses. So many are produced, that the E. coli bursts.

Now THAT's a NASTY virus!

Here's what an actual population of E. coli looks like as it is wiped out by T4 bacteriophage. You can also view this in an 800K timelapse movie. For more on viruses that infect bacteria, visit the Bacteriophage Ecology Group and see their collection of phage images from around the Web.

Animal Cell Organelles