Molecular virology

Course unit

title

Scientific direction

Scientific code

Faculty

Department (s)

Molecular virology

Biochemistry N 004

Biology N 010

Life Sciences Center

Institute of Biochemistry

Total number of credits

Mode of studies

Number of credits

Mode of studies

Number of credits

Lectures

0

Consultations

1

Self-studies

6

Seminars

1

Aims of course

To provide doctoral students with both fundamental and state-of-the-art knowledge of viral diversity, structure, development as well as virus-host interaction at the molecular level

Main topics

1. Virus diversity and ecology; principles of virus classification, application of molecular biology methods in viral taxonomy;
2. Theories of virus evolution, emerging viruses.
3. Spatial structure of virions and principles of virion formation, acquisition of the lipid envelope.
4. Interaction of viruses with the host cell: host cell recognition, viral receptors, interaction with the cell surface and cell entry; cell entry mechanisms of bacterial, plant, fungal and animal viruses;
5. Virus life cycle; formation, maturation and release of new virions. Intercellular transport of virions of viruses infecting plants and fungi.
6. Molecular mechanisms of replication and pathogenesis of different groups of viruses (according to Baltimore classification).
7. Replication of DNA viruses: small DNA viruses (poliomaviruses, papilomaviruses and adenoviruses), large DNA viruses (herpesviruses, poxviruses, tailed bacteriophages), sgDNA viruses (parvoviruses) and dsDNA-RT viruses (hepadnaviruses).
8. Viral RNA polymerases.
9. Overview of RNA-containing virus replication: dsRNA-containing viruses (reoviruses), (-)RNA viruses (rhabdoviruses, influenza viruses, (+)RNA viruses (picornaviruses, coronaviruses, togaviruses), reverse transcribing RNA viruses (retroviruses);
10. Cell (organism) defense mechanisms during viral infection; pathogenesis of viral infections, molecular mechanisms of cell damage.
11. Antivirals and vaccines.

Main literature

• S.J. Flint, L.W. Enquist, V.R. Racaniello, and A.M. Skalka. Principles of Virology, 5th Edition. ASM Press, 2020.
• A. J. Cann. Principles of Molecular Virology, 6th Edition, Academic Press, 2015.
• P. Lostroh. Molecular and Cellular Biology of Viruses, 1st Edition, Garland Science, 2019.

Assessment strategy

Assessment criteria

Oral presentation

Oral (0.5 h) presentation on the specified topic. Evaluation criteria: work with literature, correspondence of the presented data to the given topic, clarity and quality of content (33%), self-presentation (33%), response to questions following the oral presentation (34%).

Lidija Truncaitė

Approved by the Council of Doctoral School of Life Sciences Center No (4.10)600000-KT-… on the 14th of October 2021

Chairman dr. Daiva Baltriukienė