GENERAL PROPERTIES OF VIRUS

Introduction

 Obligate intracellular parasites

 They are the smallest known infective agents
 Smallest virus is as small as the largest
protein molecule
 And largest virus is as large as the smallest
bacteria
 Size range from 10 – 300 nm
 Usually visible by electron microscope
 Viruses carry either DNA or RNA but never
both
 Genome may be single stranded or double
stranded
 Viruses are metabolically inert out side host
cell
 They require host biosynthetic machinery for
survival and multiplication
 They multiply by a complex process and not
by binary fission
Sturucture of Virus

 Viruses are nucleic acids enclosed in a protein

coat ‘Capsid’
 The capsid with enclosed NA is called
Nucleocapsid
 The capsid is made up of small unite called
the capsomers- polypeptide molecules
Virion
envelope

Capsid

Viral core
Virus Symmetry

 Icosahedral symmetry :
Helical symmetry
Complex symmetry:
Enveloped Viruses

 Viruses may be enveloped or non enveloped

 The envelope is derived from host cell
membrane during its exit from it
 The envelope is a lipoprotein
 Envelope confers antigenic, chemical and
biological properties to the virus
Cubic Helical

Naked
Virus

Enveloped
Virus
Shape of Viruses

 Viruses are Spherical, Rod Shaped

animal virus Tobacco mosaic virus
 Brick shaped, Bullet shaped
Pox virus Rabies virus
Viral Genome

 Viruses possess only one type of NA either

DNA or RNA
 The capsid is made up of protein
 Viruses do not contain enzyme for
biosynthesis and depend on host cell
machinery for replication
 DNA VIRUS RNA
GENOMES
Single Stranded + or -

Double Stranded Segmented

Double Stranded Segmented

Circular
Viral Multiplication

 Viral Multiplication takes place in 6 sequential

phases
 Adsorption, entry into host cell, uncoating,
biosynthesis, assembly and release.
Adsorption

 Adsorption is a random process

 The host cell has receptor sites
 Virion attach to these receptor sites
 Eg. Influenza virus has hemagglutinin spikes
which attach to the gp site on respiratory
epithelium
 HIV attach to the CD4 receptor on host cell
via its gp 120
Entry into Host Cell

 In animal cells the virus enter directly as the

cell wall is smooth or
 Enter by phagocytosis known as ‘viripexis’
 Bacterial viruses introduce the NA into the
bacteria by a complex process
Uncoating

 Here virus removes its outer layer ie. Capsid

 Most virions are uncoated by host cell
lysosomal enzymes
Biosynthesis

 DNA viruses synthesise NA in host cell

nucleus
 RNAviruses synthesise NA in host cell
cytoplasm
 The virus shuts down the normal metabolism
of host cell
 These steps are followed for Biosynthisis:
1. Transcription of mRNA: from viral NA
2. Translation of mRNA: into early proteins or
non structural proteins
3. Replication: of viral NA
4. Synthesis of late proteins or structural
proteins
Assembly

 Assembly takes place either in the host

nucleus , eg. Herpes, adeno virus or
cytoplasm pox, picorna virus
 Enveloped viruses derive their envelop from
host cell nuclear membrane or cytoplams.
Release

 This is the final stage of virion development

 Non enveloped virions are released by lysis of
host cell or by a process called reverse
phagocytosis
 Enveloped virions are released by the process
of budding where they derive their envelop
from host cell
 Bacterial virions are released by lysis of
infected bacterium
Cultivation of Viruses

 Animal inoculation
 Embryonated Egg Inoculation
 Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM)
 Allantoic Cavity
 Amniotic Sac
 Yolk Sac innoculation
 Tissue culture
 Cell culture
Cell Culture

 Primary cell culture

 Diploid cell strains
 Continuous cell lines
Detection of Virus Growth in
Cell Culture
 Cytopathic effect
 Haemadsorption
 Interference
 Transformation
 Immunofluorescence
 Electron Microscopy
 Detection of enzymes
Normal cell and CPE
Inclusions

Negri body
Laboratory Diagnosis
 Direct Demonstration of Virus and its
components
1. Electronic microscopy
2. Immunoelectron microscopy
3. Fluorescent microscopy
4. Light microscope
5. Viral Ag
6. Neuclic Acid probes
7. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
 Isolation of Virus
 Detection of Specific Ab
Prions
 Prions are infectious proteinswithout any
detectable nucleic acid
 As they are proteins they are highly resistant
to physical & chemical agents
 Resistant to heat
 Diseases caused are: Scrspie of Sheep, goat
 Mink encephalopathy,
 Diseases mostly seen in animals