Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
09:47
Simple and Robust in vivo and in vitro Approach for Studying Virus Assembly
Published on: March 1, 2012
Generating enveloped virus-like particles with in vitro assembled cores.
Fan Cheng1, Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
1Department of Biology, Indiana University, 212 S. Hawthorne Drive, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. fancheng@umail.iu.edu
Virology
|February 22, 2011
Summary
Researchers created enveloped virus-like particles using in vitro assembled alphavirus cores and cellular glycoproteins. These particles mimic native viruses, enabling new applications in gene therapy and drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Alphaviruses possess a nucleocapsid core within a lipid envelope featuring glycoprotein spikes.
- In vitro assembled core-like particles structurally resemble the native virus nucleocapsid.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generate enveloped virus-like particles (eVLPs) by combining in vitro assembled alphavirus cores with cellular glycoproteins.
- To characterize the properties and potential applications of these novel eVLPs.
Main Methods:
- Assembly of core-like particles in vitro.
- Insertion of core-like particles into cells expressing viral glycoproteins.
- Analysis of eVLP budding, size, cellular entry, and cargo delivery.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated enveloped virus-like particles (eVLPs) from in vitro assembled cores and cellular glycoproteins.
- eVLPs exhibit native virus-like budding, size, and cellular entry capabilities.
- eVLPs effectively deliver core contents into the host cell cytoplasm.
Conclusions:
- In vitro assembled alphavirus cores can be enveloped by cellular glycoproteins to form functional eVLPs.
- These eVLPs serve as versatile platforms for delivering biological and non-biological cargoes.
- Applications include gene/drug delivery, medical imaging, and virus assembly studies.
Related Concept Videos
00:56Viral Structure
Viruses are extraordinarily diverse in shape and size, but they all have several structural features in common. All viruses have a core that contains a DNA- or RNA-based genome. The core is surrounded by a protective coat of proteins called the capsid. The capsid is composed of subunits called capsomeres. The capsid and genome-containing core are together known as the nucleocapsid.
01:19Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly
As part of their replication cycle, certain viruses synthesize long precursor proteins called polyproteins within infected host cells. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), two major polyproteins are produced: Gag and Gag-Pol. The Gag polyprotein supplies the structural components of the virus, while Gag-Pol includes essential viral enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease. After synthesis, these polyproteins move to the host cell membrane, where they assemble into an...
01:28Introduction to Virus
Viruses are unique biological entities that blur the boundary between living and non-living systems. Although they lack cellular structure and metabolic processes, they can exhibit characteristics of life when infecting a host. Their defining feature is a nucleic acid core, composed of either DNA or RNA, encapsulated within a protein coat called a capsid. This simple structure allows them to invade host cells and use their machinery for replication efficiently.Viral Structure and...