Adenoviruses are respiratory, ocular and enteric pathogens that form complex capsids, which are assembled from seven different structural proteins and composed of several core proteins that closely interact with the packaged dsDNA genome. The recent near-atomic resolution structures revealed that the interlacing continuous hexagonal network formed by the protein IX molecules is conserved among different human adenoviruses (HAdVs), but not in non-HAdVs. In this report, we propose a distinct role for the hexon protein as a “molecular mold” in enabling the formation of such hexagonal protein IX network that has been shown to preserve the stability and infectivity of HAdVs.Download high-res image (624KB)Download full-size image

The crystal structure of Seneca Valley Virus-001 (SVV-001), the representative member of a new genus, Senecavirus, is reported at 2.3Å resolution. SVV-001 is the first naturally occurring nonpathogenic picornavirus shown to mediate selective cytotoxicity towards tumor cells with neuroendocrine cancer features. The nonsegmented (+) ssRNA genome of SVV-001 shares closest sequence similarity with the genomes of the members of Cardiovirus. The overall tertiary structure of VP1-VP4 subunits is conserved with the exception of loops, especially those of VP1 that show large deviations relative to the members of the cardioviruses. The surface loops of VP1 and VP2 are predicted to mediate cell tropism of SVV-001. In addition, the organization of the packaged nucleic acid density indicates that certain regions of VP2 and VP4 interact closely with the packaged nucleic acid.

•The crystal structure of eVLPs is extremely similar to that of CPMV virions•After assembly, the C termini of S subunits undergo proteolysis at multiple sites•Varied composition of processed S subunits ensues slow and fast electrophoretic formsEmpty virus-like particles (eVLPs) of Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) are currently being utilized as reagents in various biomedical and nanotechnology applications. Here, we report the crystal structure of CPMV eVLPs determined using X-ray crystallography at 2.3 Å resolution and compare it with previously reported cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) of eVLPs and virion crystal structures. Although the X-ray and cryo-EM structures of eVLPs are mostly similar, there exist significant differences at the C terminus of the small (S) subunit. The intact C terminus of the S subunit plays a critical role in enabling the efficient assembly of CPMV virions and eVLPs, but undergoes proteolysis after particle formation. In addition, we report the results of mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis of coat protein subunits from CPMV eVLPs and virions that identify the C termini of S subunits undergo proteolytic cleavages at multiple sites instead of a single cleavage site as previously observed.

Viruses-like particles (VLPs) are frequently being used as platforms for polyvalent display of foreign epitopes of interest on their capsid surface to improve their presentation enhancing the antigenicity and host immune response. In the present study, we used the VLPs of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), an icosahedral plant virus, as a platform to display 180 copies of 16 amino acid epitopes of ricin toxin fused to the C-terminal end of a modified TBSV capsid protein (NΔ52). Expression of the chimeric recombinant protein in insect cells resulted in spontaneous assembly of VLPs displaying the ricin epitope. Cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction of the chimeric VLPs at 22 Å resolution revealed the locations and orientation of the ricin epitope exposed on the TBSV capsid surface. Furthermore, injection of chimeric VLPs into mice generated antisera that detected the native ricin toxin. The ease of fusing of short peptides of 15–20 residues and their ability to form two kinds (T = 1, T = 3) of bio-nanoparticles that result in the display of 60 or 180 copies of less constrained and highly exposed antigenic epitopes makes TBSV an attractive and versatile display platform for vaccine design.

Replication-defective and conditionally replicating adenovirus (AdV) vectors are currently being utilized in ∼ 25% of human gene transfer clinical trials. Unfortunately, progress in vector development has been hindered by a lack of accurate structural information. Here we describe the crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of a HAdV5 vector that displays a short flexible fiber derived from HAdV35. Crystals of Ad35F were grown in 100 mM HEPES pH 7.0, 200 mM Ca(OAc)2, 14% PEG 550 MME, 15% glycerol in 100 mM Tris–HCl 8.5. Freshly grown crystals diffracted well to 4.5 Å resolution and weakly to 3.5 Å at synchrotron sources. HAdV crystals belong to space group P1 with unit cell parameters a = 854.03 Å, b = 855.17 Å, c = 865.24 Å, α = 119.57°, β = 91.71°, γ = 118.08° with a single particle in the unit cell. Self-rotation and locked-rotation function analysis allowed the determination of the particle orientation. Molecular replacement, density modification and phase-extension procedures are being employed for structure determination.