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Virology
Virology
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OUTLINE
• Composition of a virus
• Structural, genomic, physicochemical, and
replicative properties
• Cultivation of viruses
• Economic importance of viruses
• Viruses of importance to Africa - Reading
• Taxonomy of viruses
• Development and origin of virology
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RESOURCES
• Pharmaceutical Microbiology by W. B Hugo
and A.D Russell
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What is a virus?
• Sub-microscopic (20 - 400 nm)
• Obligate intracellular
• Resistant to antibiotics
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Size wise
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Composition
• Nucleic acid: DNA or RNA
• Non-structural proteins
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Covering
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Nucleic content
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Capsid arrangement
Icosahedral symmetry
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11
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Complex structure
Head consists of an
icosahedral shell attached
via a collar to a helical tail.
Functions
•Protect nucleic acid
•Attach to receptors on cell
•Penetrate cell membrane
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Non-Structural Proteins
Examples
• Replicon formation proteins
• Immunomodulation
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Comparison of Viruses and Cells
Property Virus Cell
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Viral Replication
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replication
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Viral Replication Cycle
• Adsorption/attachment - virus binds to the host
cell.
• Penetration - virus injects its genome into host
cell.
• Replication - viral genome replicates using the
host's cellular machinery.
• Assembly - viral components and enzymes are
produced and begin to assemble.
• Maturation - viral components assemble and
viruses fully develop.
• Release - newly produced viruses are expelled
from the host cell
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Replication
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Viral Replication
2. Penetration/release of
nucleic material
1. Adsorption/attachment
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Whole Animal
Inoculation
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Cultivating viruses
• Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites
(need an appropriate host cell to
replicate).
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Cultivating viruses
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• A quantitative measure of phages, known as
the titre, can be obtained by mixing the
phage with a much greater number of
bacteria and immobilising them in agar.
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• Because they are immobilised in agar, the
phages are only able to infect cells in the
immediate vicinity.
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• pfu/ml = no. of plaques × dilution factor
volume (ml)
• e.g.
A phage suspension was diluted 10,000 times
and 100μl of this was plated. Determine the
pfu/ml if 53 colonies were counted.
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Animal viruses can be cultivated on
1. Embryonated/fertilised chicken’s eggs
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Embryonated Egg Inoculation
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• 2. Cell cultures
• 3. Animal models
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Plant viruses
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3. Viroids
• They consist solely of a short strand of circular, single-
stranded molecule of RNA without a protein coat or
envelope.
• All known viroids are inhabitants of angiosperms.
• Viroids replicate in the nucleus or cholroplast through
a 3-way RNA-based mechanism involving RNA
polymerase II and synthesis of mRNA from DNA.
• They cause several plant diseases but are not
implicated in any human disease.
• Viroid infections can be transmitted by aphids, by cross
contamination following mechanical damage to plants
or from plant to plant by leaf contact.
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4. Prions
• They are infectious protein particles that are composed
solely of protein (they contain no detectable nucleic
acid).
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Viruses and cancer - 1
• Cells contain genes called protooncogenes
for normal cell replication.
• Their functions are controlled by tumour-
suppressor genes.
• Some DNA viruses can encode for proteins
that block the function of these tumour-
suppressor genes.
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Economic Importance of Viruses
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Advantages
• In preparing antidotes/vaccine: Pox, mumps, polio,
jaundice etc
• In controlling harmful animals and insects:
• Control of disease: destroying the infecting bacteria
• Virotherapy, viruses target cells and DNA.
• In the laboratory: genetic studies, genetic
engineering.
• In the evidence of evolution:
• In nanotechnology: as a template for organizing
materials on the nanoscale.
• In Seawater: increase the number of photosynthesis
in Oceans and are effective for reducing the amount
of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
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Disadvantages
• Cause diseases
• Destroy plants
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Viruses of Importance to Africa
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Ebola virus
HIV
Corona virus
Zoonotic Viral Infections
Read articles
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Classification
of
Viruses
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Classification can be based on
• Nucleic acid
• Structure
• Replication properties
• Site of replication
• Host range
• Mode of transmission
• Susceptibility to chemicals agents, etc.
• Baltimore Classification
• ICTV Classification
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DNA viruses
• Most DNA viruses contain a single genome of
linear dsDNA
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Classification based on nucleic acid
DNA virus:
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RNA viruses
• 70% of all viruses
• ssRNA show much higher mutation rates than do the DNA viruses.
• Only the sense RNA strands are released from the infecting virion to
initiate replication.
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RNA virus:
i) Double stranded RNA virus: Reo virus, rotavirus,
orbivirus.
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Based on presence of envelope
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Based on structure
• Cubical virus: Reo virus, Picorna virus
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Based on replication properties and site of replication
• Replication and assembly in cytoplasm of host: all RNA virus
except Influenza virus
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Host range
• Bacteriophage: λ phage, T2, T4, φ174, MV-11
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Mode of transmission
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ICTV Classification
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STRUCTURAL, GENOMIC, PHYSICOCHEMICAL, AND
REPLICATIVE PROPERTIES OF VIRUSES USED IN
TAXONOMY.
• Characterization for taxonomic and other
purposes, is changing rapidly.
• invention by Brenner and Horne of the negative
staining technique for electron microscopic
examination of virions.
a. Virions could be characterized with respect to
size, shape, surface structure, presence or
absence of envelope and often symmetry.
b. Method could be applied simply and universally.
c. Virions could be characterized in unpurified
material including diagnostic specimen.
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Some properties of viruses extensively used in
taxonomy
• Morphology: virion size and shape, presence
or absence of peplomers or envelopes etc.
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• Lipids
• Carbohydrates
• Genome organization and replication:
genome organization, strategy of replication,
translational and transcriptional
characteristics.
• Antigenic properties: serologic properties.
• Biologic Properties: natural host range, mode
of transmission, pathogenicity etc.
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TAXONOMY
a) pathogenic properties,
b) organ tropism and
c) ecological and transmission characteristics.
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A TAXONOMIC DESCRIPTION OF THE FAMILIES OF VIRUSES
CONTAINING HUMAN AND ANIMAL PATHOGENS
As at March 2021 ICTV had the following
• 6 realms
• 10 kingdoms
• 17 phyla
• 2 subphyla
• 39 classes
• 59 orders
• 8 suborders
• 189 families
• 136 subfamilies
• 2224 genera
• 70 subgenera
• 9110 species
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Virus Realms
6 Realms – Ends with -viria
• Adnaviria
• Duplodnaviria
• Monodnaviria
• Riboviria
• Ribozyviria
• Varidnaviria
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Kingdoms
10 Kingdoms – ends in virae
• Bamfordvirae
• Helvetiavirae
• Heunggongvirae
• Loebvirae
• Orthornavirae
• Pararnavirae
• Sangervirae
• Shotokuvirae
• Trapavirae
• Zilligvirae
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17 Phyla – Ends in -viricota
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2 Subphyla – Ends in -viricotina
• Haploviricotina
• Polyploviricotina
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39 Classes – Ends in -viricetes
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59 Orders – Ends in -virales
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8 Suborders – Ends in -virineae
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Virus Families
189 families – ends with viridae
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Virus Subfamilies
136 families – ends with virinae
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Virus Genera
2224 genera – ends with virus
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Virus Genera and Species
Share common characteristics and are distinct
from the member viruses of other families.
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Virus Species
• Most important hierarchical level in
classification.
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VIRUS NOMENCLATURE
The Usage of Formal Taxonomic Nomenclature
• First letters of virus family, subfamily, and
genus names are Capitalized
• Genus and species names are printed in
italics
• Species designations are not capitalized
(except from a place name or a host family or
genus name).
• No latinized binomial terms. Eg: Flavivirus
fabrics and Herpesvirus varicellae.
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The Vernacular Usage of Virus Nomenclature
• family, subfamily, genus and species names
are written in lower case.
• They are not capitalized, nor italized or
underlined.
• Name of the taxon should not include the
formal suffix.
• Name of the taxon should follow the term for
the taxonomic unit. For example, the
picornavirus family, the enterovirus genus.
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QUIZ 1 – True or False
Consider the following statements about the Baltimore classification
• 1. Group I comprises double stranded DNA viruses
• 2. Group III consists of ssRNA
• 3. Group V consists of Retro viruses
• 4. Group VII comprises DNA Retroviruses
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• Insensitive to ether, chloroform and
detergents.
Example:
Calicivirus: cause gastroenteritis in human.
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The Family Astroviridae
• 28-30nm in diameter
• Spherical in shape
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• Distributed worldwide.
• Thermostable
• Resistant to acidic pH , ether, chloroform, lipid
solvents and nonionic, anionic and
zwitterionic detergents.
Example
Astrovirus:
Causes in both human and animal infections.
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The Family Togaviridae
• 70nm in diameter
• Spherical, with a lipid envelope.
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Pestiviridae
• Infect only certain animals
• Transmitted by direct and indirect contact(eg;
faecal contaminated food, urine or nasal
secretions); transplacentally and congenitally.
• 80-220nm in diameter
• Pleomorphic
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The Family Orthomyxoviridae
• 80-120nm in diameter.
• Pleomorphic (often spherical)
• Single stranded RNA (negative-sense)
• Virus enzyme include a transcriptase,
endonuclease and a receptor destroying
enzyme.
• Transmission among humans is by aerosols
and droplets
• It is water-borne among ducks.
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Orthomyxoviridae
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The Family Retroviridae
• 80-100 nm in diameter.
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The Family Hepadnaviridae
• 40-48nm in diameter.
• Spherical (occasionally pleomorphic).
• Single DNA molecule.
• Host specific
• Although integration of viral DNA into the host
genome is not required for replication, this
occurs in hepatitis B-associated hepatocellular
carcinoma.
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Hepadnaviridae
• Persistence is associated with chronic disease and
neoplasia.
• Genus include
Orthohepadnavirus (hepadnaviruses of
mammals)
Avihepadnavirus (Avihepadnaviruses of birds).
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The Family Papovaviridae
• Spherical or pleomorphic.
• Consist of an envelope and an icosahedral
capsid.
• Narrow host range.
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INTRODUCTION
• All living organisms have viral parasites
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• Jacob Henle hypothesized the existence of
infectious agents that were too small to be
observed with the light microscope but were
able to cause specific diseases.
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• Koch's Postulate for defining whether an
organism was indeed the causative agent of a
disease.
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The discovery period
• In 1979, Adolf Mayer, began a research on
diseases of tobacco = tobacco mosaic disease.
• Inoculated healthy plants with juice extracted.
• Neither a bacteria nor a fungal agent could be
cultured or detected.
• Inference: Soluble enzyme-like contagium.
• Conclusion: Bacteria, but that infectious forms
have not yet been isolated nor are their forms
or mode of life.
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• Dimitri Ivanofsky repeated Mayers
observations.
• One additional step : filtered the infected sap
through a Chamberland filter.
• Filtrate retains its infectious properties
• Ivanofsky, like Mayer could not culture an
organism from the filtered sap and failed to
satisfy Koch’s postulates.
• Filter paper may be defective or something
may be wrong with his methods.
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• Martinus Beijerinck also filtered sap.
• Diluted and then reinfected in growing tissue
of the plant.
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• Beijerinck called this agent a “contagium
vivum fluidum”, or a contagious living liquid.
• Liquid or Particles?
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Animal Viruses
• Characterized by
- Size
- Resistance to chemical and physical agents
- Pathogenic effects
• In 1912, S.B Wolblach, an American
pathologist remarked that it is quite possible
that when our knowledge of filterable viruses
is more complete, our conception of living
matter would change considerably, and that
we shall cease to attempt to classify the
filterable viruses as animal or plant.
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Some Individuals associated with the history of virology