| viral load | The number of viral particles (usually HIV) in a sample of blood plasma. HIV viral load is increasingly employed as a surrogate marker for disease progression. It is measured by PCR and bDNA tests and is expressed in number of HIV copies or equivalents per millilitre. (09 Oct 1997) |
|---|---|
| viral matrix proteins | Proteins associated with the inner surface of the lipid bilayer of the viral envelope. These proteins have been implicated in control of viral transcription and may possibly serve as the "glue" that binds the nucleocapsid to the appropriate membrane site during viral budding from the host cell. (12 Dec 1998) |
| viral meningitis | <pathology> A viral form of infection that is seen most often in those under 30 years of age. Peak time for infection is in late summer. Majority of cases are caused by the Coxsackie and echovirus. (27 Sep 1997) |
| viral myocarditis | <cardiology, virology> Inflammation of the heart muscle that is caused by an infection with a virus. Coxsackie B is most common in the U.S.A., but Coxsackie A, influenza, rubeola, rubella, Adenovirus, HIV and echovirus can all cause myocarditis. (27 Sep 1997) |
| viral nonstructural proteins | Viral proteins that are coded by nonstructural genes and usually have an unknown function. Some of these proteins may play structural roles within the infected cell during replication or act in virus regulation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| viral oncogene | <molecular biology> A viral gene that contributes to cancer development in vertebrate hosts. (09 Oct 1997) |
| viral pericarditis | Pericarditis due to a viral infection. (05 Mar 2000) |
| viral physiology | Biological processes and activities of viruses. (12 Dec 1998) |
| viral pneumonia | <radiology> Common agents: RSV, parainfluenza, adenovirus, influenza (12 Dec 1998) |
| viral probe | A nucleic acid fragment, labelled by a radioisotope, biotin, etc., that is complementary to a sequence in another nucleic acid (fragment) and that will, by hydrogen binding to the latter, locate or identify it and be detected; a diagnostic technique based on the fact that every species of microbe possesses some unique nucleic acid sequences which differentiate it from all others, and thus can be used as identifying markers or "fingerprints." (05 Mar 2000) |
| viral proteins | Proteins found in any species of virus. (12 Dec 1998) |
| viral regulatory proteins | Proteins which regulate the rate of transcription of viral structural genes. (12 Dec 1998) |
| viral strand | See: replicative form. (05 Mar 2000) |
| viral structural proteins | Viral proteins that do not regulate transcription. They are coded by viral structural genes and include nucleocapsid core proteins (gag proteins), enzymes (pol proteins), and membrane components (env proteins). Transcription of viral structural genes is regulated by viral regulatory proteins. (12 Dec 1998) |
| viral tail proteins | Proteins found in the tail sections of DNA and RNA viruses. It is believed that these proteins play a role in directing chain folding and assembly of polypeptide chains. (12 Dec 1998) |