VIROLOGY

GENERAL CONCEPTS


DR. DIANA M. LOPEZ
VIRUSES ARE NOT LIVING ORGANISMS
THEY ARE NOT CELLS:


NO CELL NUCLEUS,
ORGANELLES OR CYTOPLASM

THEY ARE SUBCELULLAR INFECTIOUS AGENTS

REPLICATE ONLY INSIDE LIVING
HOST CELLS


OBLIGATE INTRACELLULAR PARASITES
COMPLEX NUCLEOPROTEIN PARTICLES
Consequences of Viral Properties
Viruses are not living
Viruses must be infectious to endure in
nature
Viruses must be able to utilize host cell
processes to produce their components
(viral mRNA, protein, and identical copies
of the genome)
Viruses must encode any required process
not provided by the cell
Viral components must self-assemble
DNA
DNA
RNA
RNA
PROTEIN
PROTEIN
RNA
RNA
Reverse Reverse
transcription transcription
VIRAL NUCLEIC ACID
VIRAL NUCLEIC ACID
CHARACTERISTICS
CHARACTERISTICS
Single Single vs vs double stranded double stranded
Segmented Segmented vs nonsegmented vs nonsegmented
Linear Linear vs vs circular circular
Positive Positive vs vs negative stranded negative stranded vs ambisense vs ambisense
Concepts
Defective viruses are:
Viruses which lack a complete genome so that they
cannot completely replicate or cannot form a protein
coat.
able to replicate only when their genetic defect is
complemented by a helper virus
Abortive infections: failed infections of a cell
Nonpermissive cells will not allow replication of a
particular type or strain of virus.
Permissive cells provide the biosynthetic
machinery to support the complete replicative
cycle of the virus.
ICOSAHEDRAL MORPHOLOGY
HELICAL MORPHOLOGY
Types of infection
Inapparent infections
Acute infections
Localized infection
Disseminated infections
Congenital infection
Persistent infections
Transformation
Localized infection
Virus spread
through
bloodstream
during
generalized
infection
Virus spread
through nerves
during
generalized
infection
Congenital Viral Infections
Immunity
Innate
(inborn)
Genetic factors
Acquired
Natural
Exposure to
Infectious agent
Artificial
Immunization
Natural
Maternal
antibodies
Artificial
Antibodies from
Other sources
Various types of immunity
Active
own antibodies or
Cellular immunity
Passive
ready-made antibodies
TYPES OF VIRAL VACCINES IN USE
AT PRESENT:
INACTIVATED (KILLED)

ATTENUATED

SUBVIRAL
RABIES
MUMPS
HEPATITIS B
(Recombinant)
Subviral
Subviral
Pathogens
Pathogens

Viroids
Viroids
Contain only RNA Contain only RNA
Prions Prions
Contain only protein Contain only protein