Viruses

Viruses
Viruses comprise a unique group of infectious agents which are

characterised by their small size, simple composition and
parasitic mode of life.
Share the characteristics of both living and non living organisms.
Causes many diseases to humans, animals and plants.
Viruses are infective agent too small and Can be seen only under
electron microscope
able to multiply only within the living cells of a host.
Size range : 0.002micrometer-0.8 micrometer.
Viruses are referred as obligate intracellular parasites( That are
capable of growing and reproducing inside the cells of a host. )
General characters of viruses
1. Viruses contain a single type of nucleic acid, either DNA or

RNA ,never both.
2 .contains a protein coat that surrounds the nucleic acid.
3.Multiply inside living cells using the synthesizing machinery

of the cell.
4)Easily transmitted from one organisms to another.
Since the viruses have no metabolic activities of their own and

utilize the metabolism of host cells ,antibiotics have no effect on
them.
Viruses lack metabolic machinery of their own to generate energy or to
synthesis protein.
They depend on host cell to carry out these viral function.
Structure
Viruses have simple morphology.
A virion is a complete ,matured virus
They consist of two distinct parts: a core of nucleic acid and the
protein coat.
The protein coat is known as capsid, which protect the genetic

material.
The protein coat or capsid is made up of large number of protein

subunits called capsomers .
The capsid together with nucleic acid is called nucelocapsid.

Viruses lack cytoplasm and thus cell organelles such as
mitochondria, Golgi bodies, ribosome and lysosomes as well as
enzyme systems are absent.
Viruses usually have either DNA or RNA
The nucleic acid can be single stranded or double stranded. as
well as linear or circular type.
typical cell contains both DNA and RNA.
Certain animal viruses, e.g. Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) have both
DNA and RNA.
Some viruses have envelope outside the capsid, usually consists of lipids
,proteins and carbohydrates.
Viral envelope provides protection from enzymes and chemicals.
Eg :mammalian viruses
Non enveloped viruses/naked viruses: not covered by envelope
Envelopes may or may not be covered with spikes. spikes may be involved in
virus attachment to the host cell surface
On the outer surface of the envelope glycoprotein subunits are exposed in the
form of projecting spikes know as peplomers.
.
Size and shapes of viruses
Not affected by antibiotics. Only treated by using antiviral agents
and vaccines .
The antibiotic has no “target” to attack in a virus. Antibiotics
work by targeting the growth machinery in bacteria (not
viruses) to kill or inhibit those particular bacteria. However,
antiviral medications and vaccines are specific for viruses.
Vaccines stimulate your own immune system to produce
antibodies, which then go out and “recognize” the virus to
inactivate it before it can cause disease.
 Symmetry of viruses
Classification
1) Based on capsid structure
2) Based on the species they invade
3) Based upon the organs that they infect
4) Based on the presence of envelope

On the basis of the capsid arrangement viruses may be classified
into
1)Helical viruses: viral nucleic acid is found within a hollow

,cylindrical capsid.
Eg: Tobacco mosaic virus, Influenza virus, Rabies virus and

viruses that cause EHF (Ebola hemorrhagic fever)
Ebola virus, a lipid-enveloped, negatively stranded RNA virus .

Polyhedral viruses (Icosahedral )
Bacterial ,plant and animal viruses are polyhedral.
Capsid of most polyhedral viruses have shape of icosahedrons. (Regular
polyhedron with 2o triangular faces and 12 corners)
Eg: Polio virus, Adeno viruses and Herpes viruses
Enveloped virus
Roughly spherical.
Many animal viruses, some plant viruses, and some bacterial virus are
bounded by an outer membranous layer called an envelope.
Eg Influenza virus is a well-studied example of an enveloped virus.

Spikes project about 10 nm .
Eg: Herpes simplex virus
Complex viruses:
posses complicated structure.
capsid may be neither purely helical nor purely icosahedral
Eg: Bacteriophages
2)Classification based on their host
In 1948 Holmes classified this
1)Animal virus (Zoophagineae)
Animal virus genomes consist of either RNA or DNA, which
may be single-stranded or double-stranded.
They have a protein shell, or capsid, and genetic material made
of DNA or RNA that's tucked inside the caspid.
They may also feature an envelope, a sphere of membrane made
of lipid.
Infect man ,parrot, cow ,pigeon
2)Plant viruses (Phytophagineae): They have RNA and infect potato,
tobacco, sugar cane and many other higher plants.
3) Bacterial viruses (Phagineae): They have DNA and are called
Bacteriophages.
Based upon the organs that they infect
Dermotropic – infected skin cell

Neurotrophic – infected nerve cell
Viscerotropic – infect organ of digestive tract
Pneumotropic – infected respiratory system
Bacteriophages
Viruses which attack or parasitize the bacterial cells are known as
bacteriophages .
Bacteriophage are obligate parasites and are dependent on living
bacteria for their growth.
They may be found in nature where bacteria are growing.
They are abundant in soil, sewage, intestine of men, animals,
insects, vegetables, milk etc.

Structure of Bacteriophage:
The morphology of the bacteriophage has been studied with the
help of electron microscope
Bacteriophages are made up of nucleoproteins.
The proteins are about 50-60% and nucleic acid 40-50%.
The nucleic acid is either double stranded DNA or single stranded
DNA or single stranded RNA .

show complex symmetry.
These viruses are generally tadpole shaped i.e., a ‘head’ followed by
a ‘tail’.
The head is hexagonal and like a prism in outline
This shape is also known as elongated icosahedron.
It is 950 A° in length and 650 A° in width.
The head has a 2-layered protein wall that encloses the double
stranded DNA.
The wall is 35 A° thick and is composed of about 2000 similar
capsomeres.
DNA is tightly packed in the head and is about 50 µ long.
Attached to one of the points of the head, through a neck and
collar is the tail
The tail has a complex structure and proteinaceous in nature.
It is made up of a cubical, hollow, cylindrical core.
This core is 800 A° long, 70 A°in diameter and has 25 A° wide

central canal.
This core is surrounded by a contractile sheath. The sheath is 165

A° in diameter.
The core is terminated into a hexagonal plate which has six small
tail fibres (tail ‘pins’) at every corner and 6 tail fibres.
Each tail fibre is 1500 A° long and is composed of fibrillar
protein.
The main function of the short tail fibres is to hold the phage fast
to the host during sheath contraction and DNA injection while
long tail fibres helps in adsorption of the phage on the bacterial
wall.
 Types of Bacteriophages
Escherichia coli is the bacterium most commonly employed for virological
studies.
It is gram negative harmless bacillus, grow vigorously and rapidly in
simple nutrient solutions.
The Bacteriophage capable of destroying E. coli is called coli-phage.
The types of coli-phages have been called as T-phages.
They have been classified into
(i) T-EvenPhages (T2, T4, T6)
These phages have an angular head and contractile tail.
The DNA contain a unique base 5-hydroxyl methyl cytosine .
These are also called virulent as they cause death of the host cells
 (ii) T-Odd Phages (T1, T3, T7):
These viruses have an angular head and a short non-contractile tail.

The DNA contain cytosine.
These are temperate viruses as their genetic material becomes integrated
with bacterial chromosomes and the host remains unaffected.
(iii) T5 Phages:
These viruses have an angular head and non-contractile tail.
The DNA of these viruses also contains cytosine.
Reproduction (Replication cycle)
Bacteriophages exhibit two types of replication cycle –
virulent or lytic cycle and temperate or lysogenic cycle
Lytic cycle: intracellular multiplication of phages followed by lysis and
release of progeny virions
Lysogenic cycle: phage DNA becomes integrated with bacterial genome
replicating synchronously without any cell lysis

I. Virulent or lytic cycle:
The phages undergoing lytic cycle are called lytic phages or virulent
phages.
In lytic cycle, a lytic phage infects and kills the host cell to release
progeny virions.
The whole process involves following steps:
(a) Adsorption or Attachment
(b) Penetration or injection
c) Synthesis of phage components/Biosynthesis
d)Maturation
(e) Lysis or release of progeny phage particles.
 Lysogenic cycle:
This type of cycle is seen in Lambda type
colliphages.
The phage involved in this cycle is called temperate
phage, the bacterium is the lysogenic strain and
the entire process is called lysogeny
Reference:
Pharmaceutical microbiology principles and application by Dr
Chandrakant Kokare 15.1
 Text book of microbiology Ananthanarayan--- 427

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Viruses

Viruses comprise a unique group of infectious agents which are

1. Viruses contain a single type of nucleic acid, either DNA or

2 .contains a protein coat that surrounds the nucleic acid.

3.Multiply inside living cells using the synthesizing machinery

4)Easily transmitted from one organisms to another.

Since the viruses have no metabolic activities of their own and

Viruses have simple morphology.

A virion is a complete ,matured virus

The protein coat is known as capsid, which protect the genetic

The protein coat or capsid is made up of large number of protein

The capsid together with nucleic acid is called nucelocapsid.

Viral envelope provides protection from enzymes and chemicals.

Non enveloped viruses/naked viruses: not covered by envelope

2) Based on the species they invade

3) Based upon the organs that they infect

4) Based on the presence of envelope

1)Helical viruses: viral nucleic acid is found within a hollow

Eg: Tobacco mosaic virus, Influenza virus, Rabies virus and

Ebola virus, a lipid-enveloped, negatively stranded RNA virus .

Eg Influenza virus is a well-studied example of an enveloped virus.

tobacco, sugar cane and many other higher plants.

3) Bacterial viruses (Phagineae): They have DNA and are called

Dermotropic – infected skin cell

Viruses which attack or parasitize the bacterial cells are known as

Bacteriophage are obligate parasites and are dependent on living

bacteria for their growth.

They may be found in nature where bacteria are growing.

They are abundant in soil, sewage, intestine of men, animals,

insects, vegetables, milk etc.

help of electron microscope

Bacteriophages are made up of nucleoproteins.

The proteins are about 50-60% and nucleic acid 40-50%.

The nucleic acid is either double stranded DNA or single stranded

DNA or single stranded RNA .

The tail has a complex structure and proteinaceous in nature.

It is made up of a cubical, hollow, cylindrical core.

This core is 800 A° long, 70 A°in diameter and has 25 A° wide

This core is surrounded by a contractile sheath. The sheath is 165

tail fibres (tail ‘pins’) at every corner and 6 tail fibres.

Each tail fibre is 1500 A° long and is composed of fibrillar

to the host during sheath contraction and DNA injection while

long tail fibres helps in adsorption of the phage on the bacterial

These viruses have an angular head and a short non-contractile tail.

Bacteriophages exhibit two types of replication cycle –

virulent or lytic cycle and temperate or lysogenic cycle

Lytic cycle: intracellular multiplication of phages followed by lysis and

release of progeny virions

Lysogenic cycle: phage DNA becomes integrated with bacterial genome

replicating synchronously without any cell lysis

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