Virology

Lecturer. Osman Hassan Ali

DATE- 03/12/2023
1. History of virology
Contents
2. Definition
3. Difference Between Bacteria & Virus
4. Difference Between DNA & RNA Virus
5. Characteristics Of Virus
6. Viral Structure
7. General Morphology
8. Virus Replication
9. Reaction To Physical And Chemical
Agents
10. Virus Classification
11. Viruses In Dental Diseases
12. Oncogenic viruses
13. Transmission Of Viruses
14. Methods of Inactivating Viruses
 History of virology
• In 1898 Martinus Beijerinck is

considered one of the founders of

virology

• Bacteriophages were discovered in

the early 20th century, by the
MARTINUS BEIJERINCK
English bacteriologist Frederick
Twort
Definition of a Virus
• The latin word virus means venom or poison.
• Defined as sub microscopic entity consisting of a single nucleic
acid surrounded by a protein coat and capable of replication only
within the living cells of bacteria, animals or plants.

• Obligate

• Intracellular

• Parasite
 Difference Between Bacteria and Virus

BACTERIA VIRUSES

• Living organism, • Not living, no cells

unicellular, one cell • Smaller (20-300nm)
• Larger (1000nm)
• In latin means
• In latin means little
poison
sticks

• Usually treated with • Antibiotics will not

antibiotics effect the disease
 Difference Between DNA & RNA Virus
DNA VIRUS RNA VIRUS
• Double • Single
stranded Stranded
• Nitrogenous • Nitrogenous
bases bases
(Adenine, (Adenine,
Cytosine, Cytosine,
Guanine, & Guanine, &
Thymine Uracil
• Type of sugar- • Type of sugar-
Deoxyribose Ribose
• Location in • Location in
Nucleus Nucleus &
cytoplasm
Characteristics of Viruses
• They cannot be observed using a light microscope

• They have no internal cellular structure

• They contain either DNA or RNA, but not both

• They are incapable of metabolism

• Viruses are smaller than bacteria

• They replicate only inside living cells.

• Viruses lack cellular organelles, such as mitochondria and

ribosomes.
 Viral Structure - Overview

Nucleic acid
Nucleocapsid
Capsid
Envelope protein
Viral envelope
Membrane protein

The nucleic acid plus the capsid shell of a virus particle is often
called nucleocapsid
Virion: The complete virus particle
nucleic acid + protein coat, which may be surrounded by an
envelope
Structure of Viruses
• Size
• Between 20-300 nm
diameter.

• Basic shape
• Rod-like
• ―Spherical‖

• Genomic material
• DNA or RNA never both
• Single- or double-stranded
Structure of Viruses
• Protective Shell – Capsid
• Made of many identical protein subunits
• Protect the genetic material
• May be involved in cell entry
• Symmetrically organized
• 50% of weight
• Enveloped or non-enveloped

• Envelope: A lipid-containing membrane that surrounds some

virus particles.

 located outside the capsid)

It is acquired during viral maturation

Viral Structure: Capsid

Capsid = protein coat that

encloses and protects the
nucleic acid of a virus
• Accounts for most of the
viral mass
• Composed of single or
multiple proteins
• Each subunit =
capsomeres
 Virus Classification
Based on Shape
• Polyhedral viruses
• Helical Viruses
• Complex viruses

Based on Envelope
• Naked viruses
• Enveloped viruses
 General Morphology
Capsid Structure determines shape:
• Helical Viruses = nucleic acid is inside a hollow cylindrical
capsid with a helical structure
• Rabies, Ebola viruses, Tobacco Mosaic Virus
• Polyhedral viruses = many sided; icosahedron is common
with 20 equilateral triangles as sides and 12 vertices
• Poliovirus, Adenovirus, herpes,
• Complex structures
• Pox virus & bacteriophage
Viral Structure: Envelope

a) Non-enveloped viruses/ Naked Viruses = viruses whose capsids

are not covered by an envelope
b) Sometimes, Capsid covered with envelope
• SPIKES = carbohydrate-protein complexes (glycoproteins) that
project from the envelope
• Can be used to attach to host cell
Viral Structure: General Morphology
Enveloped Viruses = can be helical or polyhedral, but
the capsid is surrounded by an envelope
• Helical: influenza virus
• Polyhedral (icosahedral): Herpes simplex virus
 Complex viruses
• Complex structures; additional structures
attached to capsids, combos of helical and
polyhedral, may have several coats around
nucleic acid

• Bacteriophage, poxviruses
 Bacteriophage
• Viruses that infect bacterial cells are called
bacteriophages (phages for short), which means
‗bacteria eaters‘

• These are large, complex viruses, with a

characteristic head and tail structure

• The double-stranded, linear DNA genome contains over

100 genes, and is contained within the icosahedral head
• Capsid (head): polyhedral and the
tail sheath is helical.
• Head - the nucleic acid.
• Tail : hollow tube through which the nucleic
acid passes during infection
• T4 -largest phage.
• T4 tail - surrounded by a contractile sheath,
which contracts during infection of the
bacterium.
• End of the tail: base plate and one or more
tail fibers attached to it.
• The base plate and tail fibers - involved
in the binding of the phage to the
bacterial cell.
• Not all phages have base plates and tail fibers.

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How Viruses Multiply
 Virus Replication
1 Virus attachment

1 2 Penetration
3 Uncoating
5 4 Transcription

4 5 Genome replication
2 6 Translation of virus
3 mRNAs
7 Virion assembly
7 8 Release of new
virus particles
6

8
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 Attachment
• The first step in viral infection is attachment, interaction of a
virion with a specific receptor site on the surface of a cell.
• Receptor molecules differ for different viruses but are generally
glycoproteins.
• human immunodeficiency virus binds to the CD4 receptor on
cells of the immune system,
• Rhinoviruses bind intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1),
• Epstein-Barr virus recognizes the CD21 receptor on B cells.
• The presence or absence of receptors plays an important
determining role in viral pathogenesis.
• The attachment step may initiate irreversible structural changes in
the virion.
Penetration
• After binding, the virus particle is taken up inside the cell. This
step is referred to as penetration
 Uncoating
• Uncoating occurs shortly after penetration.

• Uncoating is the physical separation of the viral nucleic acid from the outer
structural components of the virion so that it can function.

• The genome may be released as free nucleic acid (picornaviruses) or as a

nucleocapsid (reoviruses).
• The nucleocapsids usually contain polymerases.

• Uncoating may require acidic pH in the endosome.

Transcription:
• Virus mRNA is produced using either cellular enzymes or virus-
coded enzymes.
 Genome Replication
• This stage can take place in either the cytoplasm or nucleus
of the infected cell.

• Depending on the size of the virus genome the enzymes

involved in genome replication may be encoded by either
the virus itself or the host cell
Translation
• This stage uses the host cell machinery - ribosomes and enzymes
etc.
• Various proteins are synthesised - structural - only in virion
- and non-structural - detected only in the virus-infected cell.
 Virion Assembly
• The newly formed virus proteins and genomic nucleic acid assemble
to produce the new virus particles.

Virion Release
• Various strategies are available for the release of the
progeny virus from the infected cell depending on the
particular virus group.
• The virus may bud through the cell membrane OR
• The virus may simply cause lysis of the cell resulting in cell
death and the release of progeny virus particles.
Reaction To Physical And
Chemical Agents
Heat and Cold
• Viral infectivity is generally destroyed by heating at 50–60°C
for 30 minutes

• Viruses can be preserved by storage at subfreezing

temperatures and can thus be preserved in the dry state at 4°C.

pH
• Viruses are usually stable between pH values of 5.0 and 9.0.
• Some viruses (eg, enteroviruses) are resistant to acidic
conditions.
• All viruses are destroyed by alkaline conditions.
Radiation
• Ultraviolet, x-ray, and high-energy particles inactivate
viruses.
Formaldehyde

• Formaldehyde destroys viral infectivity by reacting with nucleic acid.

• Viruses with single-stranded genomes are inactivated much more readily than
those with double-stranded genomes.

Ether Susceptibility

• Ether susceptibility can be used to distinguish viruses that

possess an envelope from those that do not
Classification of major virus groups
DNA VIRUSES RNA VIRUS
1. Herpesvirus 1. Orthomyxovirus
2. Paramyxovirus
2. Poxvirus
3. Rhabdovirus
3. Adenovirus 4. Tagovirus
4. Parvovirus 5. Retrovirus
6. Reovirus
5. Papovavirus
7. Picornavirus
8. Coronavirus
 Virus Classification
• Based on genome structure
• BALTIMORE CLASSIFICATION
• DNA or RNA (never both)
• ssDNA viruses
• dsDNA viruses
• ssRNA viruses
• Plus Strand (+RNA viruses)
• Same
• Negative strand (- RNA viruses)
• Complementary
• Retroviruses

• Converted into complementary DNA, then into the cell for replication
• dsRNA viruses
Important viruses of humans
VIRUS DISEASE Genome Type
Adenovirus Respiratory infections dsDNA

Epstein barr virus Infectious mononucleosis dsDNA

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Burkitt's lymphoma
Herpes simplex Type 1 Cold sores dsDNA

Herpes simplex Type 2 Genital warts dsDNA

HIV AIDS (+)ssRNA

HPV Warts dsDNA

Influenza virus Influenza (-)ssRNA

VIRUS DISEASE Genome Type

Ebola virus Haemorrhagic fever (-)ssRNA

Paramyxo virus Mumps (-)ssRNA
Polio virus Poliomyelitis (+)ssRNA
Rabies Virus Rabies (-)ssRNA
Rubella virus German measles (+)ssRNA
Small pox Small pox dsDNA
Vericella Zoster Chicken pox, shingles dsDNA
1- Double stranded DNA families
• 1- Pox Virus
• 2- Herpes Virus
• 3- Hepadna Virus
• 4- Adeno Virus
• 5- Papova Virus
2- Single stranded DNA families.

3-Double stranded RNA families.

• Single Stranded DNA Family:

1- Parvoviridae.

• Double Stranded RNA Family:

1- Reoviridae .
4- Single stranded RNA families with positive strands

• 1-Picornaviridae.

• 2- Caliciviridae.

• 3- Astroviridae.

• 4- Coronaviridae.

• 5- Flaviviradae.

• 6- Togaviridae.

• The viral genome acts directly as m-RNA.

5- Single stranded RNA families with negative strands

• 1- Orthomyxoviridae.
• 2- Paramyxoviridae.
• 3- Rhabdoviridae.
• 4- Filoviridae.
• The viral genome does not act as m-RNA.
• It must be transcribed by the viral enzyme transcriptase into
m-RNA.
• Virions contain the enzyme transcriptase.
6-Single stranded RNA viruses associated with the
enzyme reverse transcriptase

• Retroviruses.
• The viral genome is reverse transcribed into a
complementary DNA strand using the enzyme reverse
transcriptase.
 In visualizing the structure of a virus

X-ray Crystallography Electron microscopy

• It is a means of determining • It is used to generate

the physical structure, information about the
dimensions of the individual overall shape of the virus;
proteins and components of it is also used with
the virus. diagnostic purposes
through detection of virus
Viruses In Dental Diseases
• HSV Virus
• Varicella Zoster Virus
• Small Pox Virus
• Paramyxovirus
• HPV Virus
• Measles Virus
• Coxsackie Virus
• HIV Virus
• HHV-8 Virus
 HSV Structure
• Virions are spherical, 150- 200nm in diameter
• HSV-1 and HSV-2 contains

i. Genome (linear, a large double-stranded viral

DNA; encoding 70-200 proteins)
ii. An icosahedral capsid

iii. A tegument—an amorphous layer of proteins that

surround the capsid

iv. An envelope- derived from the nuclear membrane

of the infected cell; contains viral glycoproteins

v. Incubation period is 1- 26 days

Herpes viruses
Classification

Herpesviruses are divided into three groups:

•α-herpesviruses are fast-growing cytolytic viruses that establish

latent infections in neurones (e.g. herpes simplex and varicella
zoster);

•β-herpesviruses are slow-growing viruses that become latent in

secretory glands and kidneys (e.g. cytomegalovirus [CMV], HHV6
and 7);

•γ-herpesviruses are latent in lymphoid tissues (e.g. Epstein– Barr virus

[EBV], HHV-8).
 Varicella Zoster Virus

• VZV is similar to the herpes

simplex virus in morphology
• Incubation period 7- 23 days

• Disease –
1. Herpes zoster
2. Chicken pox
 Smallpox Virus
• The virion is brick shaped
• In vertical section it consists of a
double layered membrane which
surrounds a biconcave nucleoid
containing the DNA core
• On either side of the nucleoid is a
lens shaped structure called the
lateral body
• Incubation period of 7-10 days
 Paramyxo Virus
• Paramyxoviruses resemble orthomyxoviruses in
morphology but larger and more pleomorphic
• They are spherical in shape & size from 100 to
300nm
• The genome is a linear single stranded RNA
• The Nucleocapsid is surrounded by a lipid envelop
which has matrix M protein at its base & two types of
glycoprotein spike at the surface
• The longer spike is hemagglutinin(H) or HN protein.
Its responsible for absorption of the virus to the host cell
surface
• The second spike is F (fusion) protein
Ananthanarayan & paniker’s • Responsible for MUMPS (Epidemic parotitis)
textbook of microbiology, seventh
edition
 MEASLES VIRUS

• The virus has the general morphology of

paramyxoviruses

• It is a roughly spherical but often pleomorphic particle

• 120-250 nm in diameter

• The tightly coiled helical nucleocapsid is surrounded by

the lipoprotein envelope carrying on its surface
hemagglutinin (H) spikes

• Incubation periods 9 to 11 days

 HPV VIRUS
• These are small, enveloped, double-
stranded DNA viruses with more than 100
types
• Icosahedral particles (52-55nm)
• 72 capsomers (60 hexameric + 12
pentameric)
• There are 2 capsid proteins, 1 major
(encoded by the L1 gene) and 1 minor
• Infects only humans
• High risk (oncogenic) types
• 16, 18, 31, 33, 35
• Low risk (non-oncogenic) types
• 6, 11, 40, 42, 43

Ananthanarayan & paniker’s textbook of microbiology, seventh edition

• HPV 16, 18 Are Responsible For
1. Leukoplakia
2. Squamous Cell Carcinoma
3. Verrucous Carcinoma

• HPV 6 & 11 for SQUAMOUS

PAPILLOMA
• HPV 9,11,13,16,18,24,25,26 for
KERATOCANTHOMA
• HPV 13,32 for Hecks disease HPV VIRUS
• VERRUCA VALGARIS mosly cause by type
1,2,3,4.
• Some are responsible for common warts and
genital warts.
• Types 16 and 18 predominate in

cervical neoplasia
 STRUCTURE OF ADENOVIRUS

• Adenoviruses are medium

sized (70-90nm)
unenveloped, icosahedral,
double-stranded DNA
viruses
• There are more than 50
serotypes of human
adenoviruses, which are
divided into six groups (A–F)
on the basis of their
genomic homology

Ananthanarayan & paniker’s textbook of microbiology, seventh edition

 COXSACKIEVIRUS
• 24-30nm
• Spherical
• Naked, icosahedral
• +ssRNA
• Multiply in the cytoplasmAt least 23 serotypes (1-22, 24) of group A and 6
serotypes (1-6) of group B are recognized
• Diseases Caused by Coxsackievirus
• Herpangina
• coxsackie A virus
• Hand-foot-and-mouth disease
• Coxsackievirus A16
• Myocardial and pericardial infections
• coxsackie B virus. (B3)
 PARVOVIRUS
• Parvoviruses are small, unenveloped , icosahedral, single-stranded DNA
viruses with one serotype, B19, known to cause human

• disease and given the genus name Erythrovirus.

 HIV VIRUS
• Family : Retroviridae

• HIV is Spherical enveloped RNA virus

about 90-120nm in diameter

• Envelope gp160; gp120 & gp41

• Icosahedral symmetry

• Nucelocapsid
• Outer matrix protein (p17)
• Major capsid protein (p24)
• Nuclear protein (p7)

• Diploid RNA with several copies of reverse

transcriptase
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 HIV VIRUS
Each receptor is composed of 3 subunits of gp41 and 3
subunits of gp120.

53
 HEPATITIS B VIRUS

• It is a DNA virus

• It belongs to the
• Family:
Hepadnaviridae

• GENOTYPE A-H

• A1 & D in INDIA

Ananthanarayan & paniker’s textbook of microbiology, seventh edition

• Surface of virions consists of possibly 240 subunits
comprising of 3 different polypeptides termed Large, middle,
.

small surface(HBs) proteins

• The lipid in the outer protein shell or the HBs particles is

derived from an intracellular compartment & not the plasma
membrane
 Viruses and cancer
• 10% of cancer is caused by viruses
• An oncovirus is a virus that can cause cancer
• An oncogene is a cancer causing gene

• Oncogenic viruses
• DNA viruses
• Human papillomavirus – cervical cancer
• Hepatitis B causes liver cancer
 Major human Oncogenic Viruses
DNA VIRUSES
Small DNA tumor viruses
- Human Papilloma virus (HPV)
-Adenovirus

Herpesviruses (large)
- Epstein Barr virus (EBV)
- Kaposi‘s Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV)
Other
- Hepatitis virus B
RNA viruses
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus 1 (HTLV1)
Hepatitis virus C

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Viruses Associated With The Development
Of Human Neoplasia
VIRUSES NEOPLASMS
DNA VIRUSES
Human papilloma virus Cervical Ca, warts, ano
genital carcinoma Cervical
Herpes simplex virus II
carcinoma NPCa, African
Epstein-Barr virus Human
Burkitt‘s Kaposi‘s sarcoma
Herpes virus 8
Hepatocellular Ca Certain B
Hepatitis B virus Herpes
cell lymphomas
simplex virus 6 (HBLV)

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Viruses Associated With The Development
Of Human Neoplasia

VIRUSES NEOPLASMS
RNA VIRUSES
Human T-cell leukemia virus I Some T-cell leukemia,
Lymphoma
Human T-cell leukemia virus II
Some cases of hairy
cell leukemia
Human immunodeficiency virus Lymphoma; Kaposi’s
sarcoma

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 Transmission of Viruses5
• Respiratory transmission
• Influenza A virus
• Faecal-oral transmission
• Enterovirus
• Blood-borne transmission
• Hepatitis B virus
• Sexual Transmission
• HIV
• Animal or insect vectors
• Rabies virus
Common Methods of Inactivating
Viruses for Various Purposes
• Sterilize laboratory supplies and equipment,
• Disinfect surfaces or skin,
• Sterilization may be accomplished by
1. steam under pressure,
2. dry heat,
3. ethylene oxide,
4. γ-irradiation.
• Surface disinfectants include
1. sodium hypochlorite,
2. glutaraldehyde,
3. formaldehyde.
• Skin disinfectants include
• chlorhexidine, 70% ethanol, and iodophores.