Virus Replication

[Peron]

Hello, I am writting a report for my teacher and need to know a simple question.

 

When the virus penetrates the cell and releases its RNA or DNA, does the cells ribosome's then build new protien parts, using the cells machinery. Or does the virus inject its own molecular machines?

 

thanks a bunch:-)

[GDG]

Hello, I am writting a report for my teacher and need to know a simple question.

 

When the virus penetrates the cell and releases its RNA or DNA, does the cells ribosome's then build new protien parts, using the cells machinery. Or does the virus inject its own molecular machines?

 

thanks a bunch:-)

 

You can find most of your answers here. Although the virus generally uses the host cell's ribosomes for replication, some carry their own polymerase and a few other proteins for suppressing the host immune response, etc.

[CharonY]

As GDG mentioned, viruses can contain a number of enzymes, however proteinbiosynthesis is carried out by the host cell. Moved to homeworks.

[Peron]

hmm, so you can use bacteria as a factory. What if you inject the DNA strained to make haemoglobin into bacteria, will the bacteria make haemoglobin??

 

Thanks.

[CharonY]

It all depends on the enzyme to be produced. Many eukaryotic proteins require modifications that bacteria do not add to theirs. Also often specific chaperones (special proteins) are needed for the correct folding of the proteins. While bacteria have of course a lot of heme-proteins, I am not sure whether hemoglobin (which consists of four subunits) would fold correctly. I actually think it may, as. if memory serves correctly, it folded via self-assembly.

[GDG]

hmm, so you can use bacteria as a factory. What if you inject the DNA strained to make haemoglobin into bacteria, will the bacteria make haemoglobin??

 

Thanks.

 

It can indeed. In fact, this is what the biotechnology industry started with. See, e.g., Humulin, which IIRC was Genentech's first product.

 

Not everything can be produced in bacteria. Other choices include yeast, insect cells (using baculovirus expression systems), and animal cells (e.g., CHO).