Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Averaging of Viral Envelope Glycoprotein Spikes from Electron Cryotomography Reconstructions using Jsubtomo
Published on: October 21, 2014
Atomic structure of the human cytomegalovirus capsid with its securing tegument layer of pp150
Xuekui Yu1,2, Jonathan Jih1,2, Jiansen Jiang2
1Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7364, USA.
Abstract:
Herpesviruses possess a genome-pressurized capsid. The 235-kilobase genome of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is by far the largest of any herpesvirus, yet it has been unclear how its capsid, which is similar in size to those of other herpesviruses, is stabilized. Here we report a HCMV atomic structure consisting of the herpesvirus-conserved capsid proteins MCP, Tri1, Tri2, and SCP and the HCMV-specific tegument protein pp150-totaling ~4000 molecules and 62 different conformers. MCPs manifest as a complex of insertions around a bacteriophage HK97 gp5-like domain, which gives rise to three classes of capsid floor-defining interactions; triplexes, composed of two "embracing" Tri2 conformers and a "third-wheeling" Tri1, fasten the capsid floor. HCMV-specific strategies include using hexon channels to accommodate the genome and pp150 helix bundles to secure the capsid via cysteine tetrad-to-SCP interactions. Our structure should inform rational design of countermeasures against HCMV, other herpesviruses, and even HIV/AIDS.
More Related Videos
09:08Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Published on: July 27, 2021
07:29Determination of Molecular Structures of HIV Envelope Glycoproteins using Cryo-Electron Tomography and Automated Sub-tomogram Averaging
Published on: December 1, 2011
Related Concept Videos
Viral Structure
Introduction to Virus
Protein Complex Assembly
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Coat Assembly and GTPases
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes