West Nile Virus Proteins Are Mapped
By Biotechdaily staff writers
Posted on 28 Oct 2003
Researchers have used cryoelectron microscopy and advanced imaging techniques to determine the orientation of the major surface proteins of the West Nile virus that allow the virus to bind to and invade a host cell.Posted on 28 Oct 2003
The investigators, from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN, USA), have achieved a resolution of 17 angstroms, which allowed them to draw a structural map showing the general orientation of the proteins on the surface of the viral particles. Their findings were published in the October 10, 2003, issue of Science.
"We can now clearly understand how these proteins interact with one another,” said senior author Dr. Richard J. Kuhn, professor of biologic sciences at Purdue University. "These protein molecules fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and form a well-ordered symmetrical particle. From the structure, we now know, essentially, how the major sets of protein molecules interlock with each other chemically. Armed with this knowledge, scientists might now conceive of ways to interrupt the viral assembly process.”
Related Links:
Purdue University