Why are enveloped viruses that are made up of lipid bilayers less tolerant than naked viruses even though those enveloped viruses also have a capsid?
Are there any specific explanations for this?
Thank you very much :)
Here is a simple explanation, although a better answer is needed.
I think that enveloped viruses are less tolerant because they are too sensitive to ambiental conditions, such as solvents, acids (e.g. they cannot survive for a long period in gastrointestinal tract), dryness, surfactants and so on. It's something related with the coating of these viruses.
I've learnt that, for the above reason, enveloped viruses can only survive under special conditions ("wet conditions") and they are generally transmitted in "wet" body fluids, like blood or respiratory droplets.
Naked viruses can survive under harsh conditions.
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As we know that the viruses are tolerant or sensitive to heat, detergents, solvents,alcohols etc. Enveloped viruses mean they have outer lipid layer of glycoprotein and lipoproteins (envelop) that can be neutralized easily by various chemical and physical agents and the markers or receptors usually located on that envelop which recognize the host cells. So for viral-host interaction and budding or release of viral progeny from the host cell this viral envelop has a vital role...That is why they are less tolerant to such agents than the naked (non-enveloped) ones...In naked viruses since the lipid content is negligible so they exhibit a bit good resistance to various agents...
In my point of view, envelop of viruses can be neutralized with various chemical and physical factors, while this is not the case for naked viruses. As their outermost covering is capsid which makes them more virulent and resistant.
Thank you, I was wondering it has something to do with the lipid bilayer of the enveloped viruses.
Many thanks! got a very clear explanation, solved my curiosity :)
As already stated by many others above, an enveloped virus has his attachment tool(s), which are, as a rule, glycoproteins, whithin its envelope. The envelope is sensitive to lipid solvents, so that the capsid, if (easily) deprived of the envelope, may not be able to attach to or interact with the cell surface receptor(s). In contrast, non-enveloped particles posses their attachment tool, which is a suitable domain of one or several capsid protein(s), as an integral part of the virion. Thus, unenveloped virions intaract with the cell surface receptor, but are not sensitive to lipid solvents.
The above answers are quite right. The protein capsid of naked viruses is less susceptible to environmental conditions (lipid solvents, pH, temperature...) than enveloped viruses because the envelop is made in part of phospholipids. Once the envelop is lysed, the virus loses its functional receptors and is not still able to infect susceptible cells.
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