Virus RNA doesn't degrade?

[ilzmastr]

---

Members don't see this ad.

If mRNA has a half life of about 30 minutes in a eukaryotic cell, AND it has a 5' cap and a poly A' tail protecting it from degradation, what is protecting virus RNA from degradation once it infects a eukaryotic cell?

I've read that most viruses that enter eukaryotic cells are engulfed in an edocytotic process, and that most animal viruses surround themselves with a lipid rich envelope (either from the cell membrane or made in the host's cytoplasm). This should protect them.

BUT, at the same time I've read that viruses, in their active form, are not surrounded from the external environment by any barrier... (Do they leave their enclosure during self replication or something?)

Resolve my confusion please?

 

[SH3]

If mRNA has a half life of about 30 minutes in a eukaryotic cell, AND it has a 5' cap and a poly A' tail protecting it from degradation, what is protecting virus RNA from degradation once it infects a eukaryotic cell?

I've read that most viruses that enter eukaryotic cells are engulfed in an edocytotic process, and that most animal viruses surround themselves with a lipid rich envelope (either from the cell membrane or made in the host's cytoplasm). This should protect them.

BUT, at the same time I've read that viruses, in their active form, are not surrounded from the external environment by any barrier... (Do they leave their enclosure during self replication or something?)

Resolve my confusion please?

When Viral RNA or DNA enters the cells there isn't any protective mechanism on the genetic material itself as you've mentioned. Different viruses have different ways of entering eukaryotic cells. What is common between viruses is that they use the host cell's ribosome to translate their genetic information. The result of this dilemma is therefore, that over the course of evolution only viruses with genetic material which have very high affinity or are able to attract the eukaryotic ribosome remain. The viral RNA can be translated quickly upon entering the cell leading to the production of new virus before the cell has a chance to degrade the message.

 

[ilzmastr]

Thank you.
I guess then that the virus is unprotected most of the time, and is only ever surrounded by a lipid membrane in the short eclipse period.