Viruses with Small DNA Genomes

Practice flashcards covering the characteristics, classification, pathology, and replication of small DNA animal viruses including Parvoviridae, Papillomaviridae, and Polyomaviridae.

Parvoviridae

A family of small, icosahedral ($20-25\,nm$) animal viruses containing ssDNA (ca. $4500-5500\,nt$) and no membranes, which are environmentally resistant.

Parvovirus B19

The first human parvovirus discovered in 1975, known for causing "fifth disease" (erythema infectiosum), arthritis, and transient aplastic crisis.

Dependoparvovirus

A genus of parvoviruses, also known as adeno-associated viruses (AAV), that require the presence of adenoviruses or herpesviruses for their replication.

Aleutian disease

A condition in mink caused by parvovirus, characterized by increased plasma cells, high immunoglobulin production, and chronic renal failure resulting from immune complex glomerulonephritis.

Feline panleukopenia

A disease in cats caused by parvoviruses that results in a deficiency of all types of white blood cells.

Papovaviridae

The former taxonomic name for the collective grouping of Papillomaviridae and Polyomaviridae, named for their ability to cause papillomas, polyomas, and vacuoles.

Papillomaviridae

A family of nonenveloped viruses with circular double-stranded DNA genomes of about $8000\,bp$, which show tropism for epithelial cells.

Polyomaviridae

A family of icosahedral, nonenveloped viruses with circular double-stranded DNA genomes of approximately $5000\,bp$ that carry genetic information on both strands.

Shope papilloma virus (SPV)

Discovered in 1933, this was the first virus linked to a mammalian malignancy, causing benign skin tumors or carcinomas in leporids.

Treeman syndrome

A rare genetic skin disorder characterized by cutaneous horn-like lesions due to an abnormal susceptibility to human papillomaviruses like HPV 5 and 8.

HPV types 16 and 18

Specific high-risk types of Human papillomavirus that are notably associated with almost all cervical cancers.

Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) type 1

A virus that induces large fibrous skin warts in cattle and serves as a model for studying the transforming capability of papillomaviruses.

Sarcoids

Benign tumors that develop in equine species (horses) following the transmission of Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) type 1 from cattle.

E6 and E7

Viral oncogenes of papillomaviruses that promote cell growth by inactivating the tumor suppressor proteins $p53$ and $pRb$, respectively.

JC polyomavirus

Also known as Human polyomavirus 2, it is the causative agent of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in immunodeficient patients.

Merkel cell polyomavirus

Also known as Human polyomavirus 5, it was discovered in 2008 and is associated with a rare but aggressive skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma.

SV40 (Simian virus 40)

A well-studied polyomavirus discovered as a contaminant in polio and adenovirus vaccines and the first DNA virus to be fully sequenced ($2612\,bp$).

Large T and small t

Non-structural regulatory proteins produced during the early phase of polyomavirus infection; the letters stand for their association with tumor formation.

Minichromosomes

Structures formed during polyomavirus genome replication when the newly synthesized viral DNA associates with cellular nucleosomes.