Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals the Functional Organization of an Enveloped Virus, Semliki Forest Virus.
Mancini, E.J., Clarke, M., Gowen, B.E., Rutten, T., Fuller, S.D.(2000) Mol Cell 5: 255-266
- PubMed: 10882067
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s1097-2765(00)80421-9
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
1DYL - PubMed Abstract:
Semliki Forest virus serves as a paradigm for membrane fusion and assembly. Our icosahedral reconstruction combined 5276 particle images from 48 cryo-electron micrographs and determined the virion structure to 9 A resolution. The improved resolution of this map reveals an N-terminal arm linking capsid subunits and defines the spike-capsid interaction sites. It illustrates the paired helical nature of the transmembrane segments and the elongated structures connecting them to the spike projecting domains. A 10 A diameter density in the fusion protein lines the cavity at the center of the spike. These clearly visible features combine with the variation in order between the layers to provide a framework for understanding the structural changes during the life cycle of an enveloped virus.
Organizational Affiliation:
The Structural Biology Programme, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.