Dormancy

Definition

Dormancy refers to a state in which a virus remains inactive or latent within a host cell, avoiding replication and evading the host's immune response. This period of inactivity can last for an extended duration, allowing the virus to persist within the host without causing disease, and may reactivate under certain conditions, leading to viral replication and potential symptoms. Understanding dormancy is crucial in the context of viral life cycles, particularly in how viruses can establish long-term relationships with their hosts.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Dormancy allows viruses to evade the host's immune system by remaining inactive while still being present within cells.
2. During dormancy, viruses do not replicate or produce new virions, which helps them avoid detection by the immune response.
3. Dormant viruses can be reactivated due to various triggers such as stress, immunosuppression, or environmental changes.
4. In some cases, dormancy can lead to chronic infections where the virus periodically reactivates to cause symptoms.
5. The ability of viruses to enter a dormant state is an important factor in their pathogenicity and ability to persist in hosts over time.

Review Questions

• How does dormancy affect the relationship between viruses and their host cells?
  • Dormancy plays a significant role in how viruses interact with their host cells by allowing them to remain undetected while still being present in the body. During this inactive phase, viruses can evade the host's immune response and establish a long-term presence without causing immediate harm. When conditions are favorable for reactivation, the dormant virus can switch back to an active state, potentially leading to renewed viral replication and symptoms.
• Discuss the implications of dormancy on viral pathogenesis and treatment strategies.
  • The existence of dormancy in viral infections complicates treatment strategies because it allows viruses to persist even in the presence of antiviral therapies. This means that standard treatments may not be effective at eradicating the virus completely since it can remain hidden within cells. Understanding dormancy is crucial for developing therapies that target both active and dormant states of viruses, potentially improving outcomes for patients with chronic infections.
• Evaluate how understanding dormancy could change approaches to vaccine development for latent viral infections.
  • Understanding dormancy could significantly alter vaccine development strategies for latent viral infections by highlighting the need for vaccines that not only induce an immune response against active virus but also target latent forms. Researchers could focus on creating vaccines that stimulate robust cellular immunity capable of recognizing and eliminating dormant virus-infected cells before reactivation occurs. This approach could lead to more effective vaccines that provide long-lasting protection against diseases caused by viruses with known dormant stages.

Related terms

lysogenic cycle: A viral reproductive cycle in which the virus integrates its genetic material into the host cell's genome, allowing it to replicate along with the host cell without causing immediate lysis.

latent infection: A type of viral infection where the virus remains in the host in a dormant state, which can later reactivate to cause disease.

provirus: The integrated viral genome within the host cell's DNA during the lysogenic cycle, serving as a reservoir for potential future viral replication.