The herpesvirus family includes many important human pathogens such as herpes simplex viruses that cause cold-sores and human cytomegalovirus, a major cause of congenital abnormalities; several herpes viruses are known to cause cancer. Herpes viruses assemble enveloped virus particles (virions) that incorporate a large DNA-containing icosahedral capsid. Virion assembly commences in the nucleus of an infected cell, where the viral genome is pumped into preassembled capsids by a portal motor that is located at a unique 5-fold symmetry axis—the portal-vertex. This study by McElwee et al. used cryogenic electron microscopy and 3D image reconstruction to solve the structure of the portal-vertex of herpes simplex virus type 1 at 8 Å resolution. Their structure reveals the presence of several previously unknown features including a novel pentameric assembly that exhibits a coiled-coil motif comprising two α-helices. The image shows a close-up view of the portal-vertex, including the portal (mauve), the pentameric portal-vertex protein (purple), and the periportal triplex-like density (magenta).
Image Credit: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006191
Essay
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Short Reports
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Structure of the herpes simplex virus portal-vertex
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Methods and Resources
Reporters to mark and eliminate basal or luminal epithelial cells in culture and in vivo
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