Direct visualization of the putative portal in the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus capsid by cryoelectron tomography

Authors

Binbin Deng
Christine M O'Connor
Dean H Kedes
Z Hong Zhou

Publication Date

4-1-2007

Journal

Journal of Virology

Abstract

Genetic and biochemical studies have suggested the existence of a bacteriophage-like, DNA-packaging/ejecting portal complex in herpesviruses capsids, but its arrangement remained unknown. Here, we report the first visualization of a unique vertex in the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) capsid by cryoelectron tomography, thus providing direct structural evidence for the existence of a portal complex in a gammaherpesvirus. This putative KSHV portal is an internally localized, umbilicated structure and lacks all of the external machineries characteristic of portals in DNA bacteriophages.

Keywords

Capsid Proteins, Cryoelectron Microscopy, Herpesvirus 8, Human, Models, Molecular, Protein Structure, Quaternary