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An RNA virus is a virus which belongs to either Group III, Group IV or Group V of the Baltimore classification system of classifying viruses. As such, they possess ribonucleic acid (RNA) as their genetic material and do not replicate using a DNA intermediate. The nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) but can occasionally be double-stranded RNA (dsRNA).

Characteristics

RNA Sense

RNA viruses can be further classified according to the sense or polarity of their RNA into negative-sense and positive-sense RNA viruses. Positive-sense viral RNA is identical to viral mRNA and thus can be immediately translated by the host cell. Negative-sense viral RNA is complementary to mRNA and thus must be converted to positive-sense RNA by an RNA polymerase before translation. As such, purified RNA of a positive-sense virus can directly cause infection though it may be less infectious than the whole virus particle. Purified RNA of a negative-sense virus is not infectious by itself as it needs to be transcribed into positive-sense RNA.

Mutation rates

All RNA viruses have very high mutation rates as they lack DNA polymerases which can find and fix mistakes, and are therefore unable to conduct DNA repair of damaged genetic material. DNA viruses have considerably lower mutation rates due to the proof-reading ability of DNA polymerases within the host cell. Retroviruses integrate a DNA intermediate of their RNA genome into the host genome, and therefore have a higher chance of correcting any mistakes in their genome thanks to the action of proof-reading DNA polymerases belonging to the host cell.

Although RNA usually mutates rapidly, recent work found that the SARS virus and related RNA viruses contain a gene that mutates very slowly. }} The gene in question has a complex three-dimensional structure which is hypothesized to provide a chemical function necessary for viral propagation, perhaps as a ribozyme. If so, most mutations would render it unfit for that purpose and would not propagate.

Replication

Animal RNA viruses can be placed into about four different groups depending on their mode of replication.

  • Positive-sense viruses have their genome directly utilized as if it were mRNA, producing a single protein which is modified by host and viral proteins to form the various proteins needed for replication. One of these includes RNA replicase, which copies the viral RNA to form a double-stranded replicative form, in turn this directs the formation of new virions.
  • Negative-sense viruses must have their genome copied by a RNA polymerase or transcriptase to form positive-sense RNA. This positive-sense RNA molecule acts as viral mRNA, which is translated into proteins by the host ribosomes. The resultant protein goes on to direct the synthesis of new virions, such as capsid proteins and RNA replicase, which is used to produce new negative-sense RNA molecules.
  • Double-stranded reoviruses contain up to a dozen different RNA molecules which each code for a mRNA. These all associate with proteins to form a single large complex which is replicated using virally-encoded replicase to form new virions.
  • Retroviruses are single-stranded but unlike other single-stranded RNA viruses they use DNA intermediates to replicate. Reverse transcriptase, a viral enzyme that comes from the virus itself after it is uncoated, converts the viral RNA into a complementary strand of DNA, which is copied to produce a double stranded molecule of viral DNA. This DNA goes on to direct the formation of new virions.

Group III - dsRNA viruses

Group IV - positive-sense ssRNA viruses

Group V - negative-sense ssRNA viruses

See also

References

  • Prescott, L. (1993). Microbiology, Wm. C. Brown Publishers, ISBN 0697013723

Virology | RNA

RNA-Virus | Virus ARN | Virus à ARN | RNA-virus | RNAウイルス | RNA wirus | 核糖核酸病毒

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "RNA virus".

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