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Enveloped Virus Research Paper

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Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites; their lack of biochemical machinery makes them dependent on the host cell for replication.5,8 The viral replication process involves assembly individual components into viral progeny. Viruses consist of a DNA or RNA genome that is packaged into a protective protein capsid shell; additionally, some viruses are surrounded by an outer, membranous envelope.2,5,8 Viral genomes are used to express viral proteins.5 However, because these viral genomes do not encode for the machinery necessary to carry out protein synthesis, viral genomes must be copied into mRNA that can be read by host ribosomes.5,7,8 There are seven major types of viral genomes that are classified by the Baltimore system. 5 All viruses …show more content…

1,5,7 Alphaherpesvirus virion fuses its envelope with the host cell plasma membrane, releasing the nucleocapsid into the cytoplasm; the nucleocapsid then associates with the nuclear membrane, delivering the genome into the nucleus where the dsDNA genome is transcribed and replicated. 1,5-8 Unlike paramyxoviruses whose genome cannot be directly translated, the alphaherpesvirus genome is directly transcribed into mRNA by host cell DNA-dependent RNA polymerase in the host nucleus. The mRNA is then translated on host ribosomes to synthesize viral proteins. Genome replication and gene expression occurs in three stages:
1. Immediate early proteins are expressed first. These proteins are required for co-opting the host cell biochemical machinery and regulating transcription.
2. Early proteins are expressed next. A viral-encoded DNA-dependent DNA polymerase is expressed and is used to produce viral dsDNA …show more content…

4,5 The DNA intermediate is integrated into the host chromosome to become a cellular gene. 4,5 This DNA an also serves as a template for viral mRNA and genome RNA synthesis by host cell DNA-dependent RNA polymerase. 4,5,7,8 The retroviral genome consists of three genes that encode polyproteins for Gag (capsid, matrix and nucleic acid binding proteins), Pol (polymerase, protease and integrase) and Env (envelope proteins).

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