Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological Functions
Virus-like particles resemble infectious virus particles in size, shape, and molecular composition; however, they fail to productively infect host cells. Historically, the presence of virus-like particles has been inferred from total particle counts by microscopy, and infectious particle counts or p...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/2/383 |
| _version_ | 1797475979620253696 |
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| author | Tara Bhat Amy Cao John Yin |
| author_facet | Tara Bhat Amy Cao John Yin |
| author_sort | Tara Bhat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Virus-like particles resemble infectious virus particles in size, shape, and molecular composition; however, they fail to productively infect host cells. Historically, the presence of virus-like particles has been inferred from total particle counts by microscopy, and infectious particle counts or plaque-forming-units (PFUs) by plaque assay; the resulting ratio of particles-to-PFUs is often greater than one, easily 10 or 100, indicating that most particles are non-infectious. Despite their inability to hijack cells for their reproduction, virus-like particles and the defective genomes they carry can exhibit a broad range of behaviors: interference with normal virus growth during co-infections, cell killing, and activation or inhibition of innate immune signaling. In addition, some virus-like particles become productive as their multiplicities of infection increase, a sign of cooperation between particles. Here, we review established and emerging methods to count virus-like particles and characterize their biological functions. We take a critical look at evidence for defective interfering virus genomes in natural and clinical isolates, and we review their potential as antiviral therapeutics. In short, we highlight an urgent need to better understand how virus-like genomes and particles interact with intact functional viruses during co-infection of their hosts, and their impacts on the transmission, severity, and persistence of virus-associated diseases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:51:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3bb3d807187e4ad28e26ef4016a96e94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:51:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-3bb3d807187e4ad28e26ef4016a96e942023-11-23T22:32:03ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-02-0114238310.3390/v14020383Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological FunctionsTara Bhat0Amy Cao1John Yin2Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 330 N. Orchard Street, Madison, WI 53715, USADepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 330 N. Orchard Street, Madison, WI 53715, USADepartment of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 330 N. Orchard Street, Madison, WI 53715, USAVirus-like particles resemble infectious virus particles in size, shape, and molecular composition; however, they fail to productively infect host cells. Historically, the presence of virus-like particles has been inferred from total particle counts by microscopy, and infectious particle counts or plaque-forming-units (PFUs) by plaque assay; the resulting ratio of particles-to-PFUs is often greater than one, easily 10 or 100, indicating that most particles are non-infectious. Despite their inability to hijack cells for their reproduction, virus-like particles and the defective genomes they carry can exhibit a broad range of behaviors: interference with normal virus growth during co-infections, cell killing, and activation or inhibition of innate immune signaling. In addition, some virus-like particles become productive as their multiplicities of infection increase, a sign of cooperation between particles. Here, we review established and emerging methods to count virus-like particles and characterize their biological functions. We take a critical look at evidence for defective interfering virus genomes in natural and clinical isolates, and we review their potential as antiviral therapeutics. In short, we highlight an urgent need to better understand how virus-like genomes and particles interact with intact functional viruses during co-infection of their hosts, and their impacts on the transmission, severity, and persistence of virus-associated diseases.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/2/383virus-like particlesdefective interfering particlessemi-infectious particlescell killing particlesdefective viral genomesplaque forming unit |
| spellingShingle | Tara Bhat Amy Cao John Yin Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological Functions Viruses virus-like particles defective interfering particles semi-infectious particles cell killing particles defective viral genomes plaque forming unit |
| title | Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological Functions |
| title_full | Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological Functions |
| title_fullStr | Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological Functions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological Functions |
| title_short | Virus-like Particles: Measures and Biological Functions |
| title_sort | virus like particles measures and biological functions |
| topic | virus-like particles defective interfering particles semi-infectious particles cell killing particles defective viral genomes plaque forming unit |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/2/383 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tarabhat viruslikeparticlesmeasuresandbiologicalfunctions AT amycao viruslikeparticlesmeasuresandbiologicalfunctions AT johnyin viruslikeparticlesmeasuresandbiologicalfunctions |