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Viruses. What is a virus?. Microscopic disease causing agent Nucleic Acid (DNA or RNA) with a Protein Coat. What is a virus?. Microscopic disease causing agent Nucleic Acid (DNA or RNA) with a Protein Coat ( capsid ). What do viruses require in order to reproduce?. A host cell! .
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What is a virus? • Microscopic disease causing agent • Nucleic Acid (DNA or RNA) with a Protein Coat
What is a virus? • Microscopic disease causing agent • Nucleic Acid (DNA or RNA) with a Protein Coat (capsid)
What do viruses require in order to reproduce? • A host cell!
What are prokaryotic viruses called? • Bacteriophage • There are 10^31 different bacteriophages! (more than all of the stars in the universe)
What are the two ways in which phages infect bacterial cells? Virulent Phage - Lytic Cycle: -Infection, Synthesis, Assembly, Release
What are the two ways in which phages infect bacterial cells? • Temperate Phage – Lysogenic Cycle
Lysogenic Cycle • Phage DNA splices into bacterial chromosome • When cell replicates, phage DNA is replicated • May enter lytic cycle • Ex: Lambda Phage
Eukaryotic Viruses are much more diverse than prokaryotic viruses… • DNA or RNA genomes (single OR double stranded) • B. Lipid Envelope that surrounds the protein coat
Influenza Virus • RNA Virus • Responsible for more deaths in human history than any other known virus • Easily transmitted in aerosol form
Influenza Virus • Binds to receptor on cell surface • Viral RNA is transcribed And translated using host Cell machinery • New viruses assemble And get released from cell
Influenza Virus • Mutates rapidly, so permanent immunity is not possible -> rapidly evolve and acquire new phenotypes • RNA viruses lack replication error mechanisms and can combine/recombine with related viruses IF they infect the same host cell
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus • Retrovirus • RNA genome • Virus contains a code for the enzyme “reverse transcriptase”
HIV • Reverse Transcriptase makes a DNA copy of its genome, which is then splices into the host cell chromosome • RNA -> DNA = Central Dogma VIOLATION!!
HIV • Acute infection is similar to flu symptoms • Virus targets CD4 T-Helper Cells • As the virus destroys the immune system, the body becomes prone to “opportunistic infections”
HIV • Can only be spread through bodily fluid exchange • Many treatments available to slow the progression of the virus • High mutation rates of HIV make it difficult to find one treatment/vaccine
Do plants acquire viral infections? • YES! • Typically manifest as “blotchy” pigment patterns
Viroids are even smaller than Viruses… • Disease causing RNA molecules in plants • Do NOT code for proteins • Interfere with regulation of plant growth
Prions are infectious protein molecules • Disease causing protein molecules • Have no genetic material • Capable of transforming the normal prion protein into mutated/infectious proteins causing tissue damage and death • Mad Cow Disease, Scrapie (sheep)
How do bacteria transmit DNA? • Transformation • Transduction • Conjugation • Transposition • These are all mechanisms to help increase genetic variation in bacteria!
Transformation • Uptake of naked DNA from the environment • Can be a Plasmid or DNA fragment
Transduction • Viral transmission of bacterial DNA
Conjugation • Direct cell-to-cell transfer of genetic material
Transposition • Movement of DNA segments within and between DNA molecules