Introduction to Modern Virology

Preface xvii
 
About the companion website xix
 
PART I THE NATURE OF VIRUSES 1
 
Chapter 1 Towards a definition of a virus 3
 
1.1 Discovery of viruses 4
 
1.2 Multiplication of viruses 5
 
1.3 The virus multiplication cycle 6
 
1.4 Viruses can be defined in chemical terms 7
 
1.5 Multiplication of bacterial and animal viruses is fundamentally similar 10
 
1.6 Viruses can be manipulated genetically 11
 
1.7 Properties of viruses 11
 
1.8 Origin of viruses 12
 
Key points 12
 
Further reading 12
 
Chapter 2 The structure of virus particles 13
 
2.1 Virus particles are constructed from subunits 13
 
2.2 The structure of filamentous viruses and nucleoproteins 14
 
2.3 The structure is of isometric virus particles 15
 
2.4 Enveloped (membrane-bound) virus particles 24
 
2.5 Virus particles with head-tail morphology 27
 
2.6 Frequency of occurrence of different virus particle morphologies 28
 
2.7 Principles of disassemply: virus particles are metastable 28
 
Key points 29
 
Further reading 29
 
Chapter 3 Classification of viruses 30
 
3.1 Classification on the basis of disease 30
 
3.2 Classification on the basis of host organism 31
 
3.3 Classification on the basis of virus particle morphology 31
 
3.4 Classification on the basis of viral nucleic acids 32
 
3.5 Classification on the basis of taxonomy 34
 
3.6 Satellites, viroids and prions 35
 
Key points 37
 
Further reading 38
 
Chapter 4 The evolution of viruses 39
 
4.1 Mechanisms of virus evolution 40
 
4.2 The potential for rapid evolution: mutation and quasispecies 40
 
4.3 Rapid evolution: recombination 43
 
4.4 Rapid evolution: reassortment 43
 
4.5 Evolution to find a host, and subsequent co-evolution with the host 46
 
Key points