Quasienveloped

Quasienveloped is a term used in the field of virology to describe a type of virus that is partially enveloped. Unlike enveloped viruses, which have a lipid bilayer surrounding their nucleocapsid, quasienveloped viruses have a lipid bilayer that is not continuous around the entire nucleocapsid. This results in a structure where the lipid bilayer is attached to only a portion of the nucleocapsid, leaving the rest exposed.

The term "quasienveloped" was first introduced to describe the structure of certain viruses, such as the Orthomyxoviridae family, which includes influenza viruses. In these viruses, the lipid bilayer is attached to the matrix protein, which forms a lattice around the nucleocapsid. This lattice is not continuous, allowing the lipid bilayer to be attached to only a portion of the nucleocapsid.

Quasienveloped viruses are distinct from non-enveloped viruses, which lack a lipid bilayer entirely, and from fully enveloped viruses, which have a continuous lipid bilayer surrounding the entire nucleocapsid. The partial envelopment of quasienveloped viruses can affect their stability, infectivity, and interaction with the host cell. Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of this unique viral structure.