Biodiversity

Introduction
 The word viruses referred to as a poison associated with disease and death.
 Today viruses are entirely different and are nucleic acid either coated with protein coat or
not.
 They cause many diseases like influenza, hepatitis, small pox and AIDS.
 The study of viruses is called virology.
 Word virus is derived from Latin word venom meaning poisonous.
 Contain either DNA or RNA
 With or without protein coat
 Use host biosynthetic machinery for their production.
 Reproduce only in living organisms.
 In 1796, E. Jenner firstly vaccinated an 8 years old child with cowpox lesion

Discovery of Viruses
Following scientists contributed in the discovery of viruses

Scientists Year Contribution

Edward Jenner 1796 1st vaccine against small pox
Charles Chamberland 1884 Filterable nature of rabies virus
D. Ivanowski 1892 Filterable nature of TMV
W.M. Stanley 1935 Isolated, purification and crystallization of TMV
Twort and D’Herelle 1915, 1917 Discovered bacteriophages

Characteristics of Viruses
• Can’t grow on artificial media, reproduce only in living organisms
• Resistant to broad range of antibiotics such as penicillin, streptomycin etc.
• Size ranges from 250 nm poxviruses (ds DNA) to 20 nm parvoviruses (ss DNA)
• They are 10 to 1000 times smaller than most of bacteria and can pass through filter pores
• Characteristics of both living and non-living
• Living
1. Different variety biodiversity
2. Own genetic material either DNA or RNA and mutation
3. Produce by using metabolic machinery
4. Obligate intracellular parasites
5. Get destroyed by UV radiation
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 • Non-living
1. Lack cellular organelles and metabolic activity
2. Don’t respire and behave as insert infectious particle
3. Can be crystallized and stored
• Prions protein only infectious particle cause brain infection in human and mad cow infection
in cow
• Viroid particle of RNA without protein coat. Cause diseases in both animals and plants.

1. Extremely small particle

2. Contain circular ss RNA
3. Transmitted from one cell to other through cellular debris

Classification of Viruses

Classification of viruses based upon Host

Host Virus Description

Bacteria Bacteriophages Mostly DNA genome and some contain RNA genome with
hexagonal head and tail.
Plants Plants Viruses Mostly RNA genome
Many viruses have rod shaped capsid like TMV, potato
yellow dwarf virus.
Animals Animal Viruses Occur as parasites
Rous sarcoma cause cancer in animals.
Poxviruses cause small pox. ds DNA
Env
Picornaviruses causes polio RNA, hepatitis A etc.
non-Env
Paramyxoviruses causes measles and mumps. RNA
Env
Classification of Viruses Based Upon Structure
(i) On the basis of Capsid
Helical Capsid Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)
Polyhedral Capsid Adenoviruses, ds DNA, 252 capsomere
Enveloped Influenza virus, RNA Env
Complex Capsid Bacteriophages
• Virus classification is based upon host, structure, mode of action, genome type, and
sometimes mode of replication.
• The internationally agreed system of classification is structure and composition of viral
components.
(ii) On the basis of Genome

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 ds DNA Poxviruses, adenoviruses (252 capsomeres), herpes virus (162 capsomeres) DNA

ss DNA Parvoviruses causes mild rashes

ds RNA Reoviruses causes diarrhea
ss RNA Serve as mRNA e.g., Rubella virus
ss RNA Template for synthesis of DNA e.g., orthomyxovirus (influenza virus Env)
ss RNA ss RNA act as template for RNA synthesis e.g., retrovirus (HIV)

Structure of Viruses
 A complete, mature and infectious particle is called virion.
 Consists of core having genome either DNA or RNA and protein.
 Core contain protein such as enzymes essential for their mode of action.
 Outer core of virus is made up of protein subunits capsomeres that form the capsid.
 Different viruses contain different number of capsomeres e.g., 162 capsomere in herpes
virus and 252 in adenovirus.
 Two symmetries in viral capsid e.g., icosahedral and helical rod shaped.
 A few viruses have additional lipoprotein envelope called enveloped viruses and other non-
enveloped or naked virus.

Bacteriophages
 Bacteriophages = bacteria eater

Structure
 Tadpole shaped consists of a head, neck and tail.
 Head contain DNA genome (some consists of RNA). Below it is neck or collar which separates
head and sheath.
 Tail is hollow, through which nucleic acid passes during infection, tail is surrounded by
contractile sheath which contracts during infection
 At the end of tail, a base plate is present which possesses six tail fibres and tail pins/spikes
that are involved in binding.
 An enzyme, lysozyme is released from bottom of core of tube during binding. It breaks the
host cell membrane so that core tube can enter the host cell.

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 Capsid Head
Nucleic Acid

Collar
Whisker
Sheath

Base Plate
Tail Fibre
Spikes

Bacteriophage
Life cycle
 Either lytic cycle or lysogenic cycle.
 First steps are common in both types of cycles.
 Attachment, during this weak union is formed between receptor site and virion.
 Penetration, after attachment sheath contracts and lysozyme and core tube is released.
Lysozyme breaks the bacterial cell wall and membrane and core tube is pushed into the
host.
 Injection, the nucleic acid is injected. The head and tail remain outside

Lytic cycle

 Viral genome takes the control of host’s synthetic machinery and forms necessary viral
components.
 About 20 minutes after injection, 200 new bacteriophages are formed.
 Host cell bursts.
 New phages are released and another new cycle begins.

Lysogenic cycle

 In this the bacterial genome get incorporated in host’s genome.

 This dormant stage is called is prophage.
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  During cell division of host, the viral genome also passes to daughter cells.
 Sometimes due to some reasons the viral genome gets detached from host’s and start the
lytic cycle. This is called induction.
 Lytic cycle results in the lysis of bacteria.

Feature Lytic cycle Lysogenic cycle

Virus Lytic or virulent Lysogenic or temperate

Relationship Master-slave Host-guest

Effects Infectious cycle Non-infectious cycle

Viral DNA Takes control Integrated

Bacterial DNA Destroyed Remain intact

HIV and AIDS

 Retroviruses are associated with tumour production in animal like fowl, rodents and cats.
 HIV is an example of retrovirus.
 Infect those cells that contain specific receptors.
 Spherical and 100nm in size.
 Have special enzyme, reverse transcriptase that converts viral ssRNA into viral dsDNA
 This DNA is incorporated into host DNA and transferred as provirus into daughter cells. In
this way retrovirus convert normal cells into cancer cells

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

 Firstly, reported in homosexual males, later reported in non-homosexual males also.
 Symptoms: severe pneumonia, rare vascular cancer, sudden weight loss, swollen lymph
nodes and deficiency in immune system.
 Causes: blood transfusion, multiple times use of syringes between patients, sexual contact
etc.
 Effects specific cells in human body, helper T-lymphocytes.
 This virus multiplies in monkeys but not infect them, this shows its specificity.

Hepatitis
 Hepatitis is the inflammation of liver
 Symptoms: jaundice, liver enlargement, abdominal pain, fatigue and sometimes fever.

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 HAV:

1. Infectious virus transmitted by contact with faeces of infected person.

2. Vaccine is available.

3. RNA non-enveloped

4. Cause mild short term, less virulent

 HBV:
1. Serum virus
2. DNA virus
3. Transmitted by blood transfusion, breast milk, saliva
4. Symptoms: jaundice, fatigue, loss of appetite.
5. Vaccine is available.
 HCV
1. RNA enveloped virus
2. Infusion hepatitis
3. Less severe than HAV and HBV
4. But often lead to chronic liver disease

5. Vaccine is not available.