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Viruses - Good
Viruses - Good
• Origin of Viruses:
• Obviously, there is no fossil evidence of viruses and their
evolutionary history, therefore, scientists can only make educated
guesses based on no actual proof
• The most accepted theory is:
▫ viruses developed from detached fragments of genetic
material from other cellular organisms over time
Virus Structure
Viruses have a much simpler structure than most
living organisms
O- P O CH2
O- NITROGENOUS
BASE
A, T, G, C
DEOXYRIBOSE
OH
RNA Monomer
PHOSPHATE
O
O- P O CH2
O- NITROGENOUS
BASE
A, U, G, C
RIBOSE
OH OH
Variations in viral structure
Helical Icosahedral Spherical Bacteriophage
rod-shaped capsid polyhedral capsid surrounded by icosahedral “head” &
with 20 triangular membrane envelope protein “tail”
faces
Viral Diversity and Specificity
viruses can be highly selective: some attack only bacteria, some only
animals, some only plants
the range of types of tissues or cells that can be infected by a virus is
called the “host range”
Phages (viruses that attack bacteria) usually have a very LIMITED host
range
many animal and plant viruses, however, have a BROAD host range
o the rabies virus can infect many species, including rodents, dogs, and
humans
of course, there are exceptions:
o HIV attacks only the cells of the immune system
o SARS attacks only the cells of the respiratory system
Bacteriophages do NOT enter the host cell when they infect them.
ONLY the DNA or RNA gets injected into the bacterium, but their protein
capsule remains outside of the cell.
Plant and animal viruses enter the cell completely, including the protein
capsule.
How viruses enter plant and animal cells:
2. LYSOGENIC CYCLE
- A replication cycle that does NOT cause the rupturing of the host cell
- Viruses that go through the lysogenic cycle are called TEMPERATE
phages
Viral Replication Con’t...
• in a lysogenic cycle, the virus co-exists with the cell similar to the lytic
cycle, the virus attaches to the bacteria and injects its genetic
material
However…
• instead of taking over the cell, its nucleic acid becomes
INTEGRATED into the bacterial DNA and acts as another set of
genes on the bacterial host chromosome
• then, once the bacteria reproduces, the viral genome is reproduced
and passed on to all the daughter cells
Viral Replication Con’t...
• When the virus is in this stage of the lysogenic cycle, it is said to be
DORMANT (asleep)
• this viral genome is still dangerous because it can become
ACTIVATED by an outside stimulus, such as:
• damage to the DNA
• changes in temperature
• loss of necessary nutrients
• if the viral genome becomes activated, the virus will move on to the
lytic cycle and the virus becomes virulent again
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highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072556781/student_view0/ch
apter17/animation_quiz_2.html
Environmental stress
triggers induction:
1. excision of
viral DNA
2. entry into lytic
phase
(rapid reproduction)
Comparison
Classification of phages…
• “virulent phages” - replicate only
through the lytic mode
e.g., T4 phage
• “temperate phages” – alternate
between lysogenic and lytic
e.g., lambda phage
Viruses in Animals
• all have envelope
▫ viral proteins on outside
▫ bind to receptors on host cell
▫ allows entry to cell
• Biotechnology
▫ gene therapy
▫ vaccines
▫ biocontrol
Helpful Viruses?
Gene Therapy
• gene therapy is a process by which viruses are used as vectors
(carriers) to carry altered DNA to defective cells in order to
CORRECT the disease or malfunction; so in this case, the virus is
used for GOOD
• to create a viral vector, scientists remove the viral genome and
replace it with the new gene to be transferred
• the vector is then mixed with growing cells in a laboratory
• the vector enters a cell and deposits the new gene in the genome of
that cell
• the new gene is then passed on to daughter cells when the altered
cell divides
• in the laboratory, scientists have had a 90% success rate using
this process
Problems with Gene Therapy…
• causes degenerative
brain disease:
▫ scrapie, mad cow disease,
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru
• incubation period of 10+ years
▫ difficult to trace source of infection