Which of the Following is True About Viral Penetration

Question

Which of the following is true about viral penetration?
A) All non-enveloped and enveloped viruses enter host cells via endocytosis.
B) All non-enveloped and enveloped viruses enter host cells via fusion.
C) All non-enveloped viruses enter cells by endocytosis. All enveloped viruses enter cells by fusion.
D) All non-enveloped viruses enter cells by fusion. All enveloped viruses enter cells by endocytosis.
E) Non-enveloped viruses enter cells by endocytosis. Some enveloped viruses also enter by endocytosis, while others enter by fusion.

Accepted Answer

Non-enveloped viruses are generally too large to directly penetrate the plasma membrane, so they enter the host cell by endocytosis. Enveloped viruses can enter the host cell either by endocytosis or by fusion. Some enveloped viruses use their envelope glycoproteins to fuse their envelope with the plasma membrane of the host cell, while others are taken into the host cell via endocytosis and then fuse their envelope with the endosomal membrane to enter the cytoplasm. Therefore, option E is the correct choice as it provides the most accurate description of viral penetration.