Structural studies of pleomorphic viruses
Abstract
Pleomorphic viruses have long eluded structural virologists, as the traditional means of structure determination require homogeneity among the virus particles under study. Cryo-electron tomography, however, does not depend upon virion uniformity and has recently been used to provide insights into the structures of several pleomorphic viruses that are important human pathogens, including HIV and influenza. In the present work, cryo-electron tomography has been used to analyze the structures of Hantaan virus, rubella virus and Newcastle disease virus, all of which are pleomorphic, single-stranded RNA viruses. Though these viruses lack global symmetry, cryo-electron tomography has allowed us to identify proteins that are locally ordered. These results provide insights into the glycoprotein organization and the mechanisms of genome incorporation for pleomorphic viruses.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Rossmann, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Biochemistry|Virology|Biophysics
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