Viroplasm

As Viroplasma (English viroplasm ) refers to that place within a virus-infected cell, where the actual production of virus components takes place ( virus factory ). Usually the Viroplasma of morphological changes as compared to a non- infected cell in the electron microscope can be recognized, or can be assumed; However, in many cases, lack of direct evidence. An example of this is the recently described so-called " membranous web" ( membranous network) in cells transfected with a replicon of the hepatitis C virus. Here the Viroplasma showed as an aggregation of membrane complexes within the cytoplasm.

For some viruses, the Viroplasma can already be detected in the light microscope, either by specific staining methods or by significant cytological changes. These changes have already been described in the early days of cellular pathology as " inclusion " or " X -body " and later attributed to the virus. In part it is deposits of viral proteins or virus particles, but usually have to be particularly extended and altered regions of the endoplasmic reticulum or the Golgi apparatus, which serve to virus replication. An example of this cytoplasmic inclusion bodies are the Negri bodies in cells that proliferate the rabies virus.

The Viroplasma may be located in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. As nuclear Viroplasma it is found in the cell nucleus only during virus to their multiplication, the cellular DNA or RNA polymerases will be needed (for example, Polyomaviridae, herpes viruses).

Swell

• Reyes R. Novoa, Gloria Calderita et al. Virus factories: associations of cell organelles for viral replication and morphogenesis. Biology of the Cell ( 2005) 97: pp. 147-172

• Virology
• Cell Biology