Discovery of Viruses

Charles Chamberland (1884)

developed porcelain bacterial filters, viruses can pass through
Dimitri Ivanowski (1892)
demonstrated that causative agent of tobacco mosaic disease
passed through bacterial filters
thought agent was a toxin
Martinus Beijerinck (1898-1900)
showed that causative agent of tobacco mosaic disease was
still infectious after filtration
referred to as filterable agent
Loeffler and Frosch (1898-1900)
showed that foot-and-mouth disease in cattle was caused by
filterable virus
 Discovery of Viruses
Walter Reed (1900)
yellow fever caused by filterable virus transmitted by
mosquitoes
Ellerman and Bang (1908)
leukemia in chickens was caused by a virus
Peyton Rous (1911)
muscle tumors in chickens were caused by a virus
Frederick Twort (1915)
first to isolate viruses that infect bacteria (bacteriophages or
phages)
Felix dHerelle (1917)
firmly established the existence of bacteriophages
devised plaque assay
bacteriophages only reproduce in live bacteria
 What is a Virus?
Not living
Are intracellular parasites
Depends on host metabolism
Energy, materials, enzymes
Virion: a complete virus particle
has a genome
DNA or RNA, single- or double-stranded
has a protein coat
Capsid
Protects genome
Mediates host attachment
 General features of Viruses
Viruses are infectious agents with both
living and nonliving characteristics.

1. Living characteristics of viruses

a. They reproduce only in living host cells.
b. They can mutate.
2. Nonliving characteristics of viruses
Acellular; no cytoplasm or cellular organelles.
no metabolism and must replicate using the host
cell's metabolic machinery.
contains either DNA or RNA (not both)
Nucleic Acid is surrounded or coated by a protein
shell (capsid)
Some viruses possess a membrane-like envelope
surrounding the particle
 The Structure of Viruses
~10-400 nm in diameter ; too small to be seen
with the light microscope
Contain a nucleocapsid which is composed of
nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) and a protein coat
(capsid)
some viruses consist only of a nucleocapsid, others
have additional components
Enveloped vs naked viruses
enveloped viruses: surrounded by membrane
naked viruses: do not have envelope
Morphology of an Enveloped Virus

Figure 13.3
 Viral Envelopes and Enzymes
Envelope: outer, flexible, membranous layer
Spikes or peplomers virally encoded proteins, may
project from the envelope
Neuraminidase : releases mature virions from cells
Hemagglutinin : binds cellular receptor
RNA dependent RNA polimerase
Replicates sense genome
 Generalized Structure of Viruses

Viral components
Nucleic acids

Capsid

Envelope

9
 Capsids
large macromolecular structures which serve as
protein coat of virus
protect viral genetic material and aids in its transfer
between host cells
made of protein subunits called protomers
Protomers form capsomers that arrange
symmetrically to form the coat
Symmetry in capsid
Helical
Icosahedral
complex
 Helical Capsids
Filamentous capsids
Long tube of protein, with genome inside
Tube made up of hundreds of identical protein
subunits
Tube length reflects size of viral genome
Ex : Tobacco mozaic virus

DNA or RNA coiled

inside tube

Capsid proteins
 Influenza Virus Enveloped Virus with
a Helical Nucleocapsid

Helical symmetry
Segmented
genome
8 RNA genome
segments
Ex : Influenza virus
 Icosahedral Capsids
Icosahedral capsids
20 triangular sides
Each triangle made up of at least 3 identical capsid
proteins
Arranged in 2,3 and 5 fold symmetry
Many animal viruses
 Viruses with Complex Symmetry
some viruses do not fit into helical or
icosahedral capsids symmetry groups
examples are the poxviruses and large
bacteriophages

Phage T4

Vaccinia virus
200x400x250 nm, enveloped virus DNA
With double membrane envelope.

Binal symetry: head icosahedron, tail helical

Tail fibers and sheath used for binding and
pins for injecting genome
Figure 13.5
 Virus Life Cycle

Remember that viruses are not able to

reproduce on their own. They rely on a host
cell for reproduction
In the Lytic Cycle viruses infect the host cell,
use it to replicate and then destroy it
In the Lysogenic Cycle the virus infects the
host cell and inserts its DNA into the DNA of
the host cell.
 LYTIC VERSUS LYSOGENIC CYCLE
In a lytic cycle, the host cells fills with virions
and bursts.
The result is cell death.
Lysogenic cycle are also known as latent
infections.
The viral genome becomes incorporated into
the host cells DNA.
It can remain this way for an extended
period.
The host cell lives.
LYTIC VERSUS LYSOGENIC CYCLE
 LYTIC CYCLE

For animal viruses, there are 5 steps in lytic

infection:
1. Attachment
2. Penetration
3. Biosynthesis
4. Maturation
5. Release
 The Lytic Cycle
1. Proteins on the surface of the virus bind with
proteins on the surface of the host cell this is
specificity
2. The Virus injects its DNA into the host cell
3. The DNA from the virus shuts down and takes over
the host cell
4. The virus uses the materials of the host cell to
make thousands of copies of its own protein coat
and DNA
5. The cell lyses (bursts) and the releases hundreds of
virus particles
 LYSOGENIC CYCLE
There are 7 steps in lysogenic cycle:
1. Attachment
2. Penetration
3. Recombination
4. Host replication
5. Virus activation
6. Maturation
7. Release
 The Lysogenic Cycle
1. Proteins on the surface of the virus bind with
proteins on the surface of the host cell this is
specificity
2. The Virus injects its DNA into the host cell
3. The viral DNA is inserted into the host cells DNA ;
known as a provirus
4. The prophage remain as part of the host cell DNA
(this called recombination) and the host cell may
reproduce for many generations. The inserted DNA
may be useful. It can block other viruses from
entering the cell or create useful proteins
5. Eventually the viral DNA removes itself from
the DNA of the host cell and start
reproducing viruses
6. Copies of virus were made
7. The cell lyses (bursts) and the releases
hundreds of virus particles
The Lysogenic Cycle

Figure 13.12
 RETROVIRUSES
Retroviruses contain RNA
They produce a DNA copy of their genes when
they enter the cell
This DNA is entered into the host cells DNA
The DNA is then replicated and passed on to
daughter cells each time the host cell divides
 Viruses and Cancer
Activated oncogenes transform normal cells
into cancerous cells
Transformed cells have increased growth, loss
of contact inhibition, tumor-specific
transplant antigens, and T antigens
The genetic material of oncogenic viruses
becomes integrated into the host cell's DNA
 Oncogenic Viruses

Oncogenic DNA Oncogenic RNA

viruses viruses
Adenoviridae Retroviridae
Herpesviridae Viral RNA is
Poxviridae transcribed to DNA,
Papovaviridae which can integrate
into host DNA
Hepadnaviridae
HTLV-1
HTLV-2
 Cycle of Animal Viruses
Attachment: Viruses attach to cell membrane
Penetration by endocytosis or fusion
Uncoating by viral or host enzymes
Biosynthesis: Production of nucleic acid and
proteins
Maturation: Nucleic acid and capsid proteins
assemble
Release by budding (enveloped viruses) or
rupture
 Attachment, Penetration, Uncoating
By pinocytosis

Figure 13.14a
 Attachment, Penetration, Uncoating
By fusion

Figure 13.14b
Budding of an Enveloped Virus

Figure 13.20
 Taxonomy of Viruses
Family names end in -viridae.
Genus names end in -virus.
Viral species: A group of viruses sharing the
same genetic information and ecological niche
(host). Common names are used for species.
Subspecies are designated by a number.
 Taxonomy of Viruses
Herpesviridae Retroviridae
Herpesvirus Lentivirus
Human herpes virus Human
HHV-1, HHV-2, HHV-3 immunodeficiency
virus HIV-1, HIV-2
 Growing Viruses
Viruses must be
grown in living
cells
Bacteriophages
form plaques on
a lawn of bacteria
 Growing Viruses
Animal viruses
may be grown
in living
animals or in
embryonated
eggs
 Growing Viruses

Animal and plant viruses may be grown in cell

culture
Continuous cell lines may be maintained
indefinitely
 Prions
Proteinaceous Infectious particle
Inherited and transmissible by ingestion,
transplant, and surgical instruments
Spongiform encephalopathies: Sheep scrapie,
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Gerstmann-Strussler-
Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia, mad
cow disease
 Prions
PrPC: Normal cellular prion protein, on cell
surface
PrPSc: Scrapie protein; accumulates in brain
cells, forming plaques
How a Protein Can Be Infectious

Figure 13.22