Essay on Herpes Simplex Virus

     Herpes, from the ancient Greek meaning to creep or crawl, is the name of a family of viruses of which herpes simplex virus 1 and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are the most serious human pathogens. HSV-1 is normally associated with orofacial infections and encephalitis, whereas HSV-2 usually causes genital infections and can be transmitted from infected mothers to neonates. Both viruses establish latent infections in sensory neurons and, upon reactivation, cause lesions at or near point of entry into the body.

Transcription is the formation of an RNA strand from a DNA template within the nucleus of a cell. There are four nucleotides of DNA. These are adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine. These nucleotides are transcribed to form messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) consisting of nucleotides made of adenine, cytosine, guanine and uracil. This transcription from DNA to mRNA happens by an RNA polymerase II. This newly created mRNA is read in the 5' to 3' direction in sets of 3. These sets are called codons. Each mRNA also has a cap and end. On the 5 prime side is a methylated guanine triphosphate and on the 3 prime is a poly A tail. Messenger RNA then moves to the cells cytoplasm and through the cells ribosomes for translation. Messenger RNA is matched to molecules of transfer RNA (tRNA) in the ribosomes to create amino acids. These amino acids subsequently form an amino acid chain. (Osuri, 2003) A visual representation of this can been viewed in figure 3.

Herpes is one of the common of more than 30 different sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) in America today. Herpes is an infection that is caused by one of two closely related viruses, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Both of which are very easily caught, have similar symptoms, and can occur on different parts of the body. Even though it is most common to see the virus HSV-1 appear as oral herpes and to see the virus HSV-2 appear as genital herpes.

This can be contacted from another person after direct skin-to-skin contact, mouth contact, or sexual contact. When the virus is first caught, it does not always show up on the skin, but can lie dormant within special parts of the sensory nerves. Later in life, the virus can become active again and appear as herpes simplex on the skin. Areas which are most commonly affected by herpes simplex are the lips (as cold sores) and the genital area (as genital herpes).

The Herpes simplex virus or HSV is a member of the herpes virus family. HSV

The virus fuses with the cell’s plasma membrane. The capsid proteins are removed, releasing the viral proteins and RNA. Reverse transcriptase catalyzes the synthesis of a DNA strand complementary to the viral RNA. Reverse transcriptase catalyzes the synthesis of a second DNA strand complementary to the first. The double-stranded DNA is incorporated as a provirus into the cell’s DNA. Proviral genes are transcribed into RNA molecules, which serve as genomes for the next viral generation and as mRNAs for translation into viral proteins. The viral proteins include capsid proteins and reverse transcriptase (made in the cytosol) and envelope glycoproteins (made in the ER). Vesicles transport the glycoproteins from the ER to the cell’s plasma membrane. Capsids are assembled around viral genomes and reverse transcriptase molecules. New viruses bud off from the host cell.

Herpes is not medicated right away it can form some type of cancer. The regular

HSV-1 is generally transferred from one person to another by kissing.... HSV-2 is usually transferred by vaginal intercourse or anal intercourse. Yet in the same way HSV-1 may invade the genitals and then trigger genital HSV simplex virus, HSV-2 will transfer from a single person's genitals to one other person's lips, leading to oral herpes.

It is reported that the herpes virus is more easily transmitted from male to female than from female to male. It is reported that approximately one out of every five women between the ages of 14 to 49 years of age have the herpes virus and one out of nine men between the ages of 14 and 49 years of age have the herpes virus. The majority of individuals infected with NSV-1 or HSV-2 experience few if any symptoms or their symptoms are so mild that they do not even notice them or mistakenly believe that they can be attributed to another skin problem. When symptoms are noted it is in the form of blisters that are painful around the individual's "genitals, rectum or mouth." (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012, p.1) The blisters break and leave painful sores that may take two to four weeks to heal.

RSV is caused by TLR3 activation. It initiates infections by binding to a cellular receptor and then the viral envelope fuses with the plasma membrane. The virus attaches the cell through the main protein, the G protein and fuses with the plasma membrane of the host cell through the F protein. After penetration, the nucleocapsid of the virus is released into the cytoplasm where replication occurs (3). The viral RNA is like a template for mRNA (3). The mRNA’s job is to translate the viral proteins and complementary RNA serves as a template for virion RNA

The ones I just mentioned are some symptoms of HSV. When someone is feeling that type of way, he or she should go for herpes test. The effects of HSV is that once it is contacted, it stays in the body forever, though it might be inactive. It can cause sores in the genital area. Some women have this sore in their sexual organ (vagina). The effect of HSV can make it easier for one to get HIV. It can cause problems in the nervous system, this is because once it is contacted, it will travel through the nerves and affect it. It can also cause pregnancy problems, this is when the disease (HSV) will go from the mother to the unborn child, causing fatal problem. If you are seeking for help on how to prevent HSV, ask your partner about his or her sexual history. Also ask your partner to be tested for genital herpes. Please don’t drive while intoxicated. I don’t know why someone would want to do that. To prevent HSV, one of the sexual intercourse partner should use a latex condom during every sexual contact, limit the number of sexual partners. People with HSV should abstain totally from sexual

The herpes virus is one of the most prevalent viral diseases known to man. As much as eighty percent of all people, worldwide, have herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), and twenty percent have herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2). This may sound like scary statistics, but most infected people suffer only mild discomfort. The more common form, HSV1, usually causes the occasional blister-like sores on or around the mouth. These blisters are called cold sores or fever blisters and, as most sufferers know, they are annoying and mildly painful but rarely dangerous. If the sores are left alone, they will generally heal up in five to twenty days. The less common version, HSV2, has the same symptoms except that the sores are usually found on or

to pass it on to someone else even if the virus is not active. The

The protective capsid helps the virus escape detection and destruction during the invasion of the host. When the virus reaches the target cell, biochemical reactions between the capsid and cell wall allow the virus to latch on and inject its genome into the cell’s interior. Once inside, the viral genetic material insinuates itself into the host’s DNA or RNA. In an efficient feat of natural bioengineering, the host cell’s genetic machinery now does the rest of the work for the virus. The cell, which had already been making copies of its own genome, now also replicates that of the virus. Coded within the viral material is the blueprint for making more copies of the viral genome. Further instructions command the production of capsids and directions for assembly of new viruses. After the host cell becomes engorged with viruses, it explodes, sending the new

The formation of a protein begins in the genes, which contain the basic building information for all parts of living organisms. There are four DNA nucleotides that make up genes: A, T, C, and G. A codon is any arrangement of three of these nucleotides. Each triplet of nucleotides codes for one amino acid. First transcription will begin in the nucleus where mRNA will transcribe the DNA template. During both transcription and translation, there are three steps. The first step in transcription is initiation where RNA polymerase separates a DNA strand and binds RNA nucleotides to the DNA. RNA nucleotides are the same as DNA ones except that U replaces the T. The second is just the elongation of the mRNA. The third step of transcription is termination. This occurs when RNA polymerase reads a codon region and the mRNA separates from the