Table of Contents
What proteins are found in the capsid?
Capsid proteins, designated as VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4, are important components of infectious virions. They protect viral genomes during entry and exit from the host cells and can also modulate the activity and specificity of viral replication complexes.
What is the structure of chikungunya virus?
CHIKV virions are spherical, enveloped particles of ∼70 nm in diameter. The E1 and E2 glycoproteins form heterodimers and assemble into spikes on the surface. At the center of the virion is the nucleocapsid (NC) core of ∼35 nm in diameter, which is composed of the C protein in complex with the viral genome (1).
Does a virus have a protein capsid?
Each virus possesses a protein capsid to protect its nucleic acid genome from the harsh environment. Virus capsids predominantly come in two shapes: helical and icosahedral.
Is chikungunya virus RNA or DNA?
GENOME ANNOUNCEMENT Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an enveloped virus of the genus Alphavirus, family Togaviridae, with a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome about 12,000 nucleotides (nt) long (1,–3).
What is inside the capsid of a virus?
The capsid surrounds the virus and is composed of a finite number of protein subunits known as capsomeres, which usually associate with, or are found close to, the virion nucleic acid.
What is the function of protein capsid?
The capsid has three functions: 1) it protects the nucleic acid from digestion by enzymes, 2) contains special sites on its surface that allow the virion to attach to a host cell, and 3) provides proteins that enable the virion to penetrate the host cell membrane and, in some cases, to inject the infectious nucleic …
What is the vector for chikungunya?
Chikungunya virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito, mainly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
Is chikungunya single stranded RNA?
Figure 1: Worldwide distribution of chikungunya virus. CHIKV is a member of the family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus20, which comprises enveloped, positive single-stranded-RNA viruses.
What is a virus capsid made of?
What is genetic material of chikungunya virus?
Chikungunya virus It was first isolated in 1953 in Tanzania and is an RNA virus with a positive-sense single-stranded genome of about 11.6kb. It is a member of the Semliki Forest virus complex and is closely related to Ross River virus, O’nyong’nyong virus, and Semliki Forest virus.
What is the role of the viral capsid?
The main functions of viral capsids are to protect, transport and deliver their genome.
Why is capsid important to virus?
The essential functions of the capsid are to protect the functional integrity of the viral RNA when the virion is outside the host cell and to initiate the infectious process when a receptor on a suitable host cell is encountered.
What is the job of a capsid in a virus?
Why joint pain occurs in chikungunya?
“Using our reporter system we have demonstrated that cells can survive CHIKV infection, and these cells harbor most of the persistent RNA. Since many believe that this persistent RNA contributes to chronic arthritis, this system will be a useful tool to study the mechanisms underlying chronic disease.”
How does chikungunya virus replicate?
Acute CHIKV infection begins with transmission of the virus via a bite of an infected mosquito to the skin, where it replicates in susceptible cells, including fibroblasts and macrophages.
What is the function of capsid of a virus?
A primary function of the capsid is to protect the viral genome from environmental conditions and ultimately to deliver the genome to the interior of a homologous host cell.
What is the structure of chikungunya (CHIKV) virus capsid protein?
The crystal structure of chikungunya (CHIKV) virus capsid protease domain has been determined at 2.2Å. Structure reveals a chymotrypsin-like protease fold with a conserved hydrophobic pocket in CHIKV capsid protein (CP) for interaction with the cytoplasmic tail of E2 (cdE2) similar to the capsid protein of other alphaviruses.
What is chikungunya virus (CHIKV) transmission?
The main vectors responsible for chikungunya virus (CHIKV) transmission are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. In humans, CHIKV infection is associated with a range of symptoms from mild fever, musculoskeletal pain, rashes to persistent arthralgia.
How often does Chikungunya virus outbreak?
In the countries of Indian subcontinent and many other parts of the world, the chikungunya viral fever outbreaks are observed almost every year during monsoon and post-monsoon season when the mosquito density increases. The main vectors responsible for chikungunya virus (CHIKV) transmission are Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.
What are the domains of alphavirus capsid protein?
4. Conclusion Alphavirus capsid protein is a multifunctional protein, divided into two domains: the N-terminal RNA binding subdomain and the C-terminal protease domain.