Adenovirus Structure: What Is New?

Area of Science:

• Structural biology
• Virology

Background:

• Adenoviruses are large, non-enveloped dsDNA viruses with complex icosahedral structures composed of at least 12 proteins.
• Deciphering adenovirus architecture has been challenging despite extensive research.
• Near-atomic resolution structures, particularly of human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV-C5), were first achieved using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) in 2010.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize current knowledge on adenovirus structure.
• To highlight high-resolution structural data obtained since 2010.
• To emphasize the role of advanced techniques in understanding adenovirus organization.

Main Methods:

• Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) for near-atomic resolution structures.
• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) for insights into core protein function.
• Review of recent structural biology data on diverse adenovirus species.

Main Results:

• Significant progress in determining high-resolution structures of various adenoviruses since 2010.
• Cryo-EM has been pivotal in advancing our understanding of adenovirus capsid organization.
• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) offers insights into the function of core proteins in genome condensation and virion stability.

Conclusions:

• Despite advances, the organization of the non-icosahedral adenovirus core remains largely unknown.
• Continued application of advanced structural biology techniques is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of adenovirus structure.
• Future research should focus on elucidating the core structure and the role of its proteins.