What are the Measles and Mumps?
Measles, also known as rubeola, is a viral disease that primarily affects children but can occur at any age. The discovery of the measles virus is often attributed to a Scottish physician named Thomas Peebles, who, in 1954, isolated the pathogen from a student suffering from the disease.
Measles is caused by the measles virus, a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped RNA virus from the paramyxovirus family. The virus contains two types of proteins on its coat, the F (Fusion) protein and H (Hemagglutinin) protein, which play critical roles in their pathogenesis.
Mumps is another infectious disease caused by the mumps virus, an RNA virus from the Paramyxovirus family. The mumps virus was first identified and isolated by Johnson and Goodpasture in 1934. Similar to the measles virus, the mumps virus has two significant proteins, the Fusion (F) protein and Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase (HN) protein, on its envelope that orchestrated the infection process.
Symptoms of Measles and Mumps
The initial symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis, followed by the formation of Koplik's spots in the mouth and then a characteristic red body rash. Complications of measles can be severe, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death.
Mumps primarily targets the salivary glands, leading to the typical symptom of painful, swollen cheeks. This symptom is usually preceded by fever, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite. Serious complications from mumps can include orchitis, pancreatitis, deafness, and rarely, meningitis.
Protein and Antigen of Measles and Mumps
Proteins H (Hemagglutinin) and F (Fusion) are the two significant proteins on the coat of the measles and mumps viruses. These proteins play a pivotal role in the virus's ability to infect host cells and stimulate the body's immune response.
The H proteins are responsible for binding the virus to cellular receptors, whereas the F protein facilitates the fusion of the virus with the host cell, allowing the viral RNA to enter the host. Both these proteins can trigger an immune response in the host and thus are identified as antigens.
The properties of these proteins as antigens make them ideal targets for vaccines. Vaccines like MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) exploit this feature and introduce weakened versions of the viruses into the host body to stimulate the immune response and create an immunological memory without causing the disease.
Antigen-related Signaling Pathways
The signaling pathways induced by measles and mumps antigens are largely driven by the host's adaptive immune response. Upon the recognition of antigens by the specific B and T lymphocytes, a cascade of intracellular signals is activated. These include the JAK-STAT pathway, the NF-kB pathway, and the MAP kinase pathways, which collectively stimulate the immune response against these viruses.
Concrete understanding of these pathways is crucial for developing therapeutic interventions and enhancing the vaccine's potency against these infectious diseases. Continuing research in this field promises more effective control and prevention methods for measles and mumps in the future.
