Name: Justin R. Mirando Section: BSE-3B Science Date: Oct.

1, 2020

Essential Questions for Viruses

Answer the following questions:

1. What are the general properties of virus?

Answer:

Properties of virus

Some general properties of virus are;

1. Size:

 The size of virus ranges from (20-300) nm in diameter.

 Parvovirus is the smallest virus with size 20nm whereas Poxvirus is largest
being 400nm.

2. Shape:

 The overall shape of virus varies in different groups of virus.

 Most of animal viruses are spherical shape, Pox virus is rectangular shape,
TMV is rod shape, Poliovirus is bullet shape etc
 Some virus are irregular and pleomorphic in shape.

3. Symmetry:

 Morphological protein subunits of capsid are arranged together to from a

symmetrical structure of the virus.
 Two basic symmetry are recognized in virus, they are helical symmetry and
icosahedral symmetry.
 In some virus, symmetry is more complex, which is other than helical or
icosahedral.

4. Structure and Chemical composition:

i. Genome:

 Viral genome or nucleic acid  contains either DNA or RNA but not both.
 The genome can be either ds DNA or ss DNA or ds RNA or ss RNA
 The genome can exist as single piece or segmented. Eg, Influenza virus
contains 8 segments of ss RNA genome.
 The genome may be linear or circular. Most virus possess linear genome
except Papova virus which contains circular ss DNA.
 Genome helps replication of virus in host cell.
ii. Capsid:

 Capsid is the outer shell of a virus.

 It is chemically a viral protein.
 Capsid is composed of capsomere.
 Structure of capsid gives the symmetry of virus.
 Capsid protects the nuceic acid and also helps in attachments on host cell
surface during infection.

iii. Envelope:

 Some virus contains phospholipid bilayer known as envelope.

 Virus lacking envelope is called naked virus.
 Envelope is a lipid bilayer which is acquired from host cell membrane

iv. Glycoprotein spike:

 Envelope of some virus contains viral coded spike projected outside the
envelope called glycoprotein spike or peplomers.
 Glycoprotein spike are viral coded protein with carbohydrate head.
 Glycoprotein spikes is an important antigenic structure.
 Neuraminidase and Haemagglutinin are glycoprotein spikes which helps in
virus attachment to cellular receptor on host cell to establish infection.

v. Enzymes:

 Some virus possess their own enzymes.

 Retrovirus possess reverse transcriptase

5. Viral replication:

 Virus only replicates inside host cell

6. Metabolism:

 Viruses are metabolically inert outside host cell.

 They are also called as obligate intracellular parasite

7. Resistance:

i. Temperature:

 Most viruses are heat labile.

 Viruses are inactivated by heating at 60°C for 30 minutes or 100°C for few
seconds.
ii. Cold:

 Viruses are stable and resistant to cooling.

 Virus can be stored for long duration at -40°C to -70°C by lyophilization or
freeze drying.

iii. Radiation:

 Both non-ionizing and ionizing radiation can kill virus.

 UV rays causes pyrimidine dimer formation while ionizing radiation eg, X-rays
causes lethal break of viral genome.

iv. Organic solvent:

 Chloroform, ether and bile salt can destroy all viruses by lipid solubiliation.

v. Disinfectant:

 Most viruses are destroyed by oxidizing agents such as chlorine, H2O2, iodine
etc.
 Many viruses are resistant to phenol and chlorination. The phenol and chlorine
do not always inactivates enterovirus, particularly if they are present in faecal
materials.

vi. Antibiotics:

 Viruses are resistant to antibiotics.

https://www.onlinebiologynotes.com/properties-of-virus/

2. How virus compared to other virus?

Answer:

How do viruses differ?

1) genetic material within a virus a. DNA or RNA but never both b. Several different
configuration of nucleic acids 1) (ds)DNA, (ss)DNA, (ds)RNA, (ss(+))RNA,
(ss(-)RNA, RNA retro c. viral genomes are much smaller than genomes of host

2) the cells they attack a. viruses infect only particular host’s cells b. affinity of viral
surface proteins or glycoproteins for surface of host cell 1) HIV attacks only
lymphocytic T4 helper and not muscle cells 2) Generalist: Rabies virus infects
mammals.

3) the composition of their capsid coats a. composed of a single or several proteins

1) subunits called capsomeres
4) their shape a. shapes used to classify virus 1) Helical 2) Polyhedral a)
icosahedron with 20 sides 3) Complex a) many different shapes not readily fitting
into either of the two categories 1) small pox virus with several covering layers
including a lipid layer

5) the presence or absence of an envelope a. Non-enveloped virus: naked virus b.

viral envelope may be similar in composition to a cytoplasmic membrane derived
from host 1) envelope’s protein and glycoproteins play a role in the recognition of
host cell

3. What is the structure of virus?

4. What viral shape exist?

Answers for item. 3-4

Viruses display a wide diversity of shapes and sizes, called morphologies. In

general, there are five main morphological virus types:

Viral structure: An outline of the structures of some common viral types.

 Helical – These viruses are composed of a single type of capsomer stacked
around a central axis to form a helical structure, which may have a central
cavity, or hollow tube.
 Icosahedral – Most animal viruses are icosahedral or near-spherical with
icosahedral symmetry.
 Prolate – This is an icosahedron elongated along one axis and is a common
arrangement of the heads of bacteriophages.
 Envelope – Some species of virus envelop themselves in a modified form of
one of the cell membranes, either the outer membrane surrounding an infected
host cell or internal membranes such as nuclear membrane or endoplasmic
reticulum, thus gaining an outer lipid bilayer known as a viral envelope.
 Complex – These viruses possess a capsid that is neither purely helical nor
purely icosahedral, and that may possess extra structures such as protein tails
or a complex outer wall.
 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-microbiology/chapter/structure-of-
viruses/#:~:text=A%20complete%20virus%20particle%2C%20known,from%20the%20host%2
0cell%20membrane.

5. How do envelop and enzyme related to viruses?

The Function of Viral Capsids and Envelopes

Viral capsids and envelopes are not just inert coverings—these must be sufficiently
stable in the environment to protect the contained nucleic acid genome, and at the
same time play multiple roles in the interaction between the virion and host cell.
Different kinds of envelope-associated proteins are associated with at least four
crucial activities: binding to receptors, membrane fusion, uncoating, and receptor
modification. For example, fusion proteins are involved in both viral entry and viral
release, in many cases promoting the fusion of viral envelope with cellular
membranes at virus entry and promoting virus “pinching off” at virus exit by budding.
Moreover, before entry into the cell, viruses may be converted to a primed state to
facilitate uptake and infection of target cells Capsids and envelopes determine the
method of viral entry into and exit from host cells.

6. What type of viral genome exist?

Answer:

Virus Genome

While cells contain double-stranded DNA for their genome, viruses are not limited to
this form. While there are dsDNA viruses, there are also viruses with single-stranded
DNA (ssDNA), double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and single-stranded RNA (ssRNA).
In this last category, the ssRNA can either positive-sense (+ssRNA, meaning it can
transcribe a message, like mRNA) or it can be negative-sense (-ssRNA, indicating
that it is complementary to mRNA). Some viruses even start with one form of nucleic
acid in the nucleocapsid and then convert it to a different form during replication.

7. What are the steps of viral multiplication? What happening at each other?

Answer:

Virus Replication Cycle

While the replication cycle of viruses can vary from virus to virus, there is a general
pattern that can be described, consisting of five steps:

1. Attachment – the virion attaches to the correct host cell.

2. Penetration or Viral Entry – the virus or viral nucleic acid gains entrance into
the cell.
3. Synthesis – the viral proteins and nucleic acid copies are manufactured by
the cells’ machinery.
 4. Assembly – viruses are produced from the viral components.
5. Release – newly formed virions are released from the cell.

8. What are the 4 types of viral infection found in eukaryote?

Answer:

1. Human Immunodefiency Virus (HIV-1)

2. Human T-cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV-1)
3. Hepatitis-B and C, Epstien Bar Virus
4. Influenza Virus

9. How do some virus causes cancer?

Answer:

Viruses, infections and cancer

When viruses cause an infection, they spread their DNA, affecting healthy cells’
genetic makeup and potentially causing them to turn into cancer. HPV infections, for
instance, cause the virus’ DNA to combine with the host’s DNA, disrupting the
normal function of cells. Other viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
and hepatitis C virus (HCV), may increase a person’s risk of developing cancer by
affecting the body’s immune system. In most cases, specific viruses only affect
specific cells in the body, such as common cold viruses that impact the lining of the
nose and throat. That’s why certain viruses are only linked with certain kinds of
cancer.

https://www.cancercenter.com/community/blog/2017/08/how-can-a-virus-cause-
cancer#:~:text=Viruses%2C%20infections%20and%20cancer,the%20normal%20function%20
of%20cells.

10. Identify at least 5 deadly viral infection and describe its mode of transmission
and replication.

Answer:

1. Marburg virus

- Transmitted via direct or close contact.

- The ribonucleocapsid interacts with the matrix protein under the plasma membrane,
buds via the host ESCRT complexes from the plasma membrane releasing the
virion.

2. Hendra

-The most likely mode of transmission is via droplet or contact transmission, with
substantial direct exposure. Virus replication was documented in canine kidney and
spleen.
3. E-bola

- The Ebola virus is transmitted among humans through close and direct physical
contact with infected bodily fluids, the most infectious being blood, faeces and vomit.

The Ebola virus has also been detected in breast milk, urine and semen

4. Bubonic plague

- Plague is a bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis. It is carried by rodents and

even cats, and hops to humans through bites from infected fleas (often rat fleas).
The disease becomes most deadly to us when transmitted between people, as
became the case in the 1300s. Symptoms include fever, chills, weakness, and
swollen and painful lymph nodes. Even today, if not treated, the disease is deadly

5. Lyme disease
- Black-legged ticks can transmit bacteria that cause Lyme disease to humans. The
disease is typically caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, though sometimes
another Borrelia species, called B. mayonii is the culprit, according to the CDC.