Varicella-zoster Virus (VZV) |
Genome of The varicella-zoster virus
The varicella-zoster virus is a double stranded DNA virus and it's genome, like other herpesviridae, is about 120,000 to 230,000 base pairs long. A prototype strain of VZV sequenced in the laboratory, called VZV Dumas, is 124,884 base pairs long. These base pairs make up approximately 70 genes, 64 of which are homologous to those in the herpes simplex virus, another herpesviridae. The varicella-zoster virus's genomic structure resembles that of its eukaryotic host in that its genes are not organized into operons, but are instead switched on and off using individual promoters. Unlike their host's genes, however, VZV genes do not undergo splicing. This difference, however, can be an asset to VZV, as the virus is able to use the mRNA splicing machinery, like the spliceosome, to take over and destroy the host's cell. For more information on which tactics VZV uses against it's host cells, see the page on VZV tactics.
Sources:
- Roizman, Bernard, and Nina Thayer, eds. "Herpesvirus Properties." Herpesvirus Family: Herpesviridae. Los Alamos National Laboratory, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015. <http://stdgen.northwestern.edu/stdgen/bacteria/hhv2/herpes.html>.
- Cohen, Jeffrey I. “The Varicella-Zoster Virus Genome.” Current topics in microbiology and immunology 342 (2010): 1–14. PMC. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.