Biomaterial Database

Structure of correctly self-assembled bluetongue virus-like particles. 1994

E A Hewat, and T F Booth, and P Roy

Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France.

Bluetongue virus-like particles (VLPs), synthesized by coexpression of VP2, VP3, VP5, and VP7 using recombinant baculoviruses, have been examined by cryoelectron microscopy and image analysis. The 3-D reconstruction of these VLPs reveals an icosahedral structure 86 nm in diameter with essentially the same features as for the native Bluetongue virus (BTV) particle. The VLP is thus shown to contain the four constituent proteins as the native virus particle, with each of the protein positions highly occupied. Since the BTV core-like particle formed by coexpression of VP3 and VP7 lacks five VP7 trimers around each of the five-fold axes, it appears that the presence of the outer capsid proteins VP2 and VP5 is necessary for the adhesion of these VP7 trimers around the five-fold axes. The observed spontaneous formation of complete VLP in the absence of the BTV nonstructural proteins implies that the nonstructural proteins are not necessary for the formation of the double-shelled viral capsid. However, the nonstructural proteins may be involved in different aspects of genome replication and packaging.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D008961	Models, Structural	A representation, generally small in scale, to show the structure, construction, or appearance of something. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	Model, Structural,Structural Model,Structural Models
D001820	Bluetongue virus	The type species of ORBIVIRUS causing a serious disease in sheep, especially lambs. It may also infect wild ruminants and other domestic animals.	Ovine Catarrhal Fever Virus,Blue Tongue Virus,Blue Tongue Viruses,Bluetongue Viruses
D005583	Fourier Analysis	Analysis based on the mathematical function first formulated by Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Fourier in 1807. The function, known as the Fourier transform, describes the sinusoidal pattern of any fluctuating pattern in the physical world in terms of its amplitude and its phase. It has broad applications in biomedicine, e.g., analysis of the x-ray crystallography data pivotal in identifying the double helical nature of DNA and in analysis of other molecules, including viruses, and the modified back-projection algorithm universally used in computerized tomography imaging, etc. (From Segen, The Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992)	Fourier Series,Fourier Transform,Analysis, Cyclic,Analysis, Fourier,Cyclic Analysis,Analyses, Cyclic,Cyclic Analyses,Series, Fourier,Transform, Fourier
D012330	RNA, Double-Stranded	RNA consisting of two strands as opposed to the more prevalent single-stranded RNA. Most of the double-stranded segments are formed from transcription of DNA by intramolecular base-pairing of inverted complementary sequences separated by a single-stranded loop. Some double-stranded segments of RNA are normal in all organisms.	Double-Stranded RNA,Double Stranded RNA,RNA, Double Stranded
D014758	Viral Core Proteins	Proteins found mainly in icosahedral DNA and RNA viruses. They consist of proteins directly associated with the nucleic acid inside the NUCLEOCAPSID.	Core Proteins, Viral,Major Core Protein,Major Core Proteins, Viral,Adenovirus Core Protein VII,Core Protein V,Core Protein lambda 2,Influenza Virus Core Proteins,Major Core Protein lambda 1,Major Core Protein lambda-1,Major Core Protein sigma 2,Major Core Protein sigma-2,OVP 19,Oncornaviral Protein P19,P30 Core Proteins,Viral Protein P19,Virus Core Proteins,Core Protein, Major,Core Proteins, P30,Core Proteins, Virus,Protein P19, Oncornaviral,Protein P19, Viral,Protein, Major Core,Proteins, P30 Core,Proteins, Viral Core,Proteins, Virus Core
D016367	Baculoviridae	Family of INSECT VIRUSES which contain polyhedron-shaped or ovocylindrical occlusion bodies. The genera include ALPHABACULOVIRUS; GAMMABACULOVIRUS; and DELTABACULOVIRUS (commonly known as NUCLEOPOLYHEDROVIRUSES) and BETABACULOVIRUS (commonly known as GRANULOVIRUSES). Baculovirus vectors are used for expression of foreign genes in insects and as BIOPESTICIDES for controlling insect populations.	Baculovirus,Baculoviruses