General Properties of Viruses

Rediet G. General microbiology

Terimenologys
• Virion – extracellular infectious virus particle /complete viral particle

• Capsid – the protein coat surrounding the nucleic acid core. It

– protects nucleic acid from inactivation

– helps to introduce viral genome into host cell

• Nucleocapsid: nucleic acid plus capsid

• Capsomers - the repeating protein subunits that make up the capsid

• Protomers – the polypeptide chains which make up the capsomers

• Viroids : small circular RNA molecules which posses no envelop or capsid they are
obligate intracellular parasite
• Prions: consist of single protein molecule no nucleic acid component but it can causes
disease

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 General Properties of virus
• It is very smallest infectious agent (20 –350nm)

• Obligate intracellular parasites

• Viruses contain a single type of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) and a

protein coat,
– sometimes enclosed by an envelope composed of lipids, proteins and
carbohydrates.

• They are not cells or composed of cells. Do not possess cellular

organization
• Lacks enzymes necessary for protein & NA synthesis

• Depends on host cell machinery for replication

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• Most viruses infect only specific types of cells in one host
species.
• Host range is determined by the specific attachment site on the
host cell’s surface and the availability of host cellular factors.
• Causes a large no. of human diseases ranging from minor
ailments like common cold to terrifying diseases such as rabies,
HIV etc.

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 Morphology - Size
• Much smaller than bacteria

• “Filterable agents” – can pass through filters that can hold

back bacteria
• Vary widely in size:

– Largest – poxvirus (300nm)

– Smallest – parvovirus (20nm)

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Viruses contains

• Nuceic acid genome (DNA or RNA)

• Protective protein coat(capsid)

• Viral envelope (enveloped virus)

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Capsid
• Capsomers – symmetrically arranged to form an impenetrable
shell (capsid) around the nucleic acid core.
• This symmetry is of three types:

– Icosahedral (cubical)

– Helical

– Complex

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 Capsid

The protein coat surrounding

the nucleic acid of a virus
is called the capsid.

The capsid is composed of

subunits, capsomeres,
which can be a single type
of protein or several types.

Rediet G. General Microbiology

1. Helical viruses (for example,

tobacco mosaic virus) resembling

long rods, and their capsids are

hollow cylinders surrounding the

nucleic acid.

Rediet G. General Microbiology

 Polyhedral viruses

2. Polyhedral viruses (for example,

adenovirus) are many-sided.

Usually the capsid is an

icosahedron. 20 triangular faces

12 corners example polio virus

Rediet G. General Microbiology

 Complex viruses

3. Complex viruses have complex

structures. For example, many

bacteriophages have a polyhedral

capsid with a helical tail

attached.

Rediet G. General Microbiology

 Capsid and Envelopes

The capsid of some viruses is

enclosed by an envelope
consisting of lipids, proteins,

and carbohydrates.

Some envelopes are covered with

carbohydrate-protein
complexes called spikes.
Attachment, absorption.
Example: influenza

Rediet G. General Microbiology

 Viral structure
Virus consists of a protein shell called a Capsid The capsid may
have many shapes

Capsomere Membranous
RNA Capsomere
of capsid DNA envelope Head
Capsid Tail DNA
sheath
RNA
Tail
fiber
Glycoprotein Glycoprotein
18  250 mm 70–90 nm (diameter) 80–200 nm (diameter) 80  225 nm

20 nm 50 nm 50 nm 50 nm
(a) Tobacco mosaic virus (b) Adenoviruses (c) Influenza viruses (d) Bacteriophage T4

Respiratory infections
 Nucleic Acid

Viruses contain either DNA or RNA, never both, and the nucleic
acid may be single- or double- stranded, linear or circular, or
divided into several separate molecules.

DNA or RNA

SS or DS

Linear or circular or divided

Rediet G. General Microbiology

 DNA Viruses
• Parvovirus ssDNA, sense or antisense, linear
• HepadnaAvirus dsDNA,linear

• Papovavirus dsDNA,circular

• Adenovirus dsDNA,linear

• Herpes virus dsDNA,linear

• Pox virus dsDNA, linear

Rediet G. General Microbiology

 RNA Viruses
• ssRNA, Sense strand -picornavirus, calicivirus, togavirus,
coronavirus
• ssRNA, antisense strand -bunyavirus, orthomyxovirus,
arenavirus, filovirus, rhabdovirus,paramyxovirus
• Retrovirus ssRNA 2 copies

• Reovirus dsRNA, 10-12 segments

 Major families of viruses are briefly are:

A- DNA viruses:

1. parvoviridae:
- Size : 18 – 26 nm
- Symmetry : icosahedral
- Envelope : absent
- DNA : single stranded
- Example : parvovirus which cause gastroenteritis and
haemolytic disease

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 • 2- papovaviridae:

- Size : 40 – 55 nm
- Symmetry : icosahedral
- Envelope : absent
- DNA : double stranded
- Example : i.papilloma virus which causes cutaneous,
genital and laryngeal warts.
- ii. Polyomavirus which cause neurological diseases

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3- Adenoviridae:
- Size : 70 – 90 nm
- Symmetry : icosahedral
- Envelope : absent
- DNA : double stranded
- Example : adenovirus. some can cause respiratory
disease and conjunctivitis.

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 4- herpesviridae:
- Size : 100 – 200 nm
- Symmetry : icosahedral
- Envelope : present
- DNA : double stranded
- Example : i. herpes simplex virus
- ii. Varicella /zoster viruses.

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 5- poxviridae:
- Size : 300 – 450 nmX170 -260nm(brick shaped)

- Symmetry : unknown
- Envelope : present
- DNA : double stranded
- Example : poxviruses –Variola, cowpox, monkey
pox…..

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6- hepadnairidae:
- Size : 42 nm
- Symmetry : unknown
- Envelope : present
- DNA : partially double stranded
- Example : hepatitis – B virus

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Viral multiplication

Bacteriophages
 Multiplication of Bacteriophages

1. During a lytic cycle, a phage causes the lysis and death of a

host cell.

2. Lysogeny. DNA incorporated as a prophage into the

DNA of the host cell
 Lytic Cycle

• The multiplication cycle of these phages can be divided into

five distinct stages:
– Attachment

– Penetration

– Biosynthesis

– Maturation

– Release
 Lytic Cycle: Attachment

• During the attachment

phase of the lytic cycle,
– Chance collision
– Sites on the phage’s
tail fibers attach to
complementary
receptor sites on the
– bacterial cell.
 Lytic Cycle: Penetration

• Phage lysozymes opens a portion of the bacterial cell wall,

• tail sheath contracts to force the tail core through the cell wall,

• DNA enters the bacterial cell and the capsid remains outside.
 Lytic Cycle: Biosynthesis,

• Phage DNA is replicated

• Phage DNA produces mRNA coding for proteins necessary for
phage multiplication
• capsids and proteins are produced
 Lytic Cycle: Maturation

• Phage DNA and

capsids are
assembling into
complete viruses
 Lytic Cycle: Release (lysis)

• phage lysozyme

breaks down the

bacterial cell wall,

and the multiplied

phages are released

A Bacteriophage one-step growth curve
• Burst time: The time from phage attachment to release (AVG
20 to 40 min).
• Burst size: The number of newly synthesized phages from a
single infected cell (50-200).

• Eclipse period The time period when whole virons can not be
found.
– It is the time from the end of penetration to the beginning of release.
 Lysogeny
• Some viruses (lysogenic phages) do not always cause lysis and

death of the host cell when they multiply.

• These viruses may incorporate their DNA into the host cell’s

DNA to begin a lyogenic cycle.

• In lysogeny, the phage remains latent or inactive

 Characteristics of lysogeny

• Lysogenic cells are immune to reinfection by the same phage.

– Repressor proteins stop transcription of all other phage genes.

• Host cell may exhibit new properties (phage conversion)

– Bacteria may acquire new genes from previously infected

cells
• Special transduction

• Generalized transduction
 Animal Viruses
• The multiplication cycle of these phages can be divided into six
distinct stages:
– Attachment

– Penetration

– Uncoating

– Biosynthesis

– Maturation

– Release