VIRUS PICTURES: Ebola

Illustration shows Ebola Virus life Cycle. Above image measures 400 pixels across, original image is 3300 pixels across.

---

(above) Ebola virus docks with cell membrane at middle left. Viral RNA (yellow) is released into the cytoplasm where it directs the production of new viral proteins and genetic material. New viral genomes are rapidly coated in protein to create cores. These viral cores stack up in the cell and migrate to the cell surface. Transmembrane proteins (purple) are produced which are ferried to the cell surface. Cores push their way through the cell membrane becoming enveloped in cell membrane and collecting their transmembrane proteins (spikes) as they do so. Examples of coiled virions are shown in the background.

CLASSIFICATION OF THE EBOLA VIRUS:

• GENOME: single stranded negative sense RNA
• Order: Mononegavirales
• Family: Filoviridae
• Subfamily:
• Genus: Ebola like viruses
• Species: Ebola

Personal References: With many thanks to Dr Frederick A. Murphy, UC Davis, for all his helpful comments and suggestions.

I would also like to thank Prof. Frank Fenner and Prof. Gordon Ada of the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University for their initial help and for referring me to relevant sources.

---

Journal and Book References:

H. Feldman, H.-D. Klenk and A. Sanchez, "Molecular biology and evolution of filoviruses", Arch Virol (1993) [Suppl] 7:81-100

D.S. Ellis, Susan Stamford, D.G. Tovey, G. Lloyd, E.T.W. Bowen, G.S. Platt, Hilary Way and D.I.H. Simpson: "Ebola and Marburg Viruses: I Some Ultrastructural Differences Between Strains When Grown in Vero Cells" Journal of Medical Virology 4:201-211 (1979).

D.S. Ellis, Susan Stamford, D.G. Tovey, G. Lloyd, E.T.W. Bowen, G.S. Platt, Hilary Way and D.I.H. Simpson: "Ebola and Marburg Viruses: II Their Development Within Vero Cells and the Extra-Cellular Formation of Branched and Torus Forms" Journal of Medical Virology 4:213-225 (1979).

Frederick A. Murphy, Michael P. Kiley, and Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, "Filoviridae Marburg and Ebola Viruses" Chapter 33 from VIROLOGY, Second Edition, edited by B.N. Fields, D.M. Knipe et al

---

Ebola References on the web:

EBOLA AND MARBURG VIRUS MORPHOLOGY AND TAXONOMY FREDERICK A. MURPHY, GUIDO VAN DER GROEN, SYLVIA G. WHITFIELD, JAMES V. LANGE

Journal of Infectious Diseases special Ebola supplement February 1999

CDC Ebola section

Filoviruses an article by Heinz Feldmann and Hans-Dieter Klenk

The "Ebola Virus Haemorrhagic Fever", book of SR Pattyn is available at the ITM website: http://www.itg.be/ebola and the ENIVD website: http://www.rki.de/INFEKT/Ebola/Frame.htm

From Ed Rybicki at the University of Cape Town, South Africa: Occurances of Ebola and virus entry into animal cells.