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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Cryo-EM and Single-Particle Analysis with Scipion
Published on: May 29, 2021
Cryo-EM structure of a Marseilleviridae virus particle reveals a large internal microassembly
Kenta Okamoto1, Naoyuki Miyazaki2, Hemanth K N Reddy1
1Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3 (Box 596), SE-75124 Uppsala, Sweden.
Abstract:
Nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) blur the line between viruses and cells. Melbournevirus (MelV, family Marseilleviridae) belongs to a new family of NCLDVs. Here we present an electron cryo-microscopy structure of the MelV particle, with the large triangulation number T = 309 constructed by 3080 pseudo-hexagonal capsomers. The most distinct feature of the particle is a large and dense body (LDB) consistently found inside all particles. Electron cryo-tomography of 147 particles shows that the LDB is preferentially located in proximity to the probable lipid bilayer. The LDB is 30 nm in size and its density matches that of a genome/protein complex. The observed LDB reinforces the structural complexity of MelV, setting it apart from other NCLDVs.
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