Virology Membrane Preparations
Background of Virology
Virology is concerned with the structure, classification, and evolution of viruses, as well as their methods of infecting and exploiting host cells for reproduction, their interactions with host organism physiology and immunity, the diseases they cause, isolation and culture techniques, and their use in research and therapy.
Mechanism of Virus-Membrane Protein Interaction
Viruses can identify receptors on the cell surface of specific tissues; these receptors often have a unique and invariant domain, which limits the host range of virus infection. Following the first engagement, the virus frequently engages in a secondary binding process with additional components or proteins on the host cell membrane. The second contact can improve virus adherence or allow the virus to enter the cell directly via direct fusion or endocytosis. The fusion of viruses and cells frequently causes significant changes in the fluidity and permeability of cell membranes, which is likely to result in cell injury or death during the proliferation phase.
