Viruses are small intracellular parasites that invade the cells of virtually all known organisms. They reproduce by utilizing the cell's machinery to replicate viral proteins and genomic material, generally damaging or killing the host cell in the process; subsequentelly, a large number of newly generated viruses go on to infect other cells. Viruses are responsible for a wide variety of human diseases, ranging from the common (influenza and colds) to the exotic (AIDS, West Nile virus and Zika). Some viruses which are not dangerous to humans can also be exploited in technological applications, in addition, viruses find use in genetic engineering applications and increasingly in the design of new nanomaterials. At the very least, all viruses contain two components: the capsid (a protein shell), and a genome, consisting of either DNA or RNA. Some viruses also include accessory proteins to aid in infection, and in some cases a lipid bilayer to further protect their contents from the environment. The viral life cycle itself is deceivingly simple: viruses enter the cell, typically (but not always) through the interaction of their capsid with a receptor on the cell surface; the virus must then somehow disassemble its capsid to release its genetic material and any necessary helper proteins. The viral genome is then replicated and the proteins it codes for are synthesized to produce the raw material for the production of new viral particles; these new viruses then assemble and bud from the cell either through the membrane or upon cell death.

Spotlight: Anatomy of a Dormant Killer (Aug 2015)

Lung surfactant protein, an influenza virus inhibitor

image size: 2.6MB
made with VMD

Retroviruses are parasites that pose a major health threat to humans (for example in case of HIV) and other animals (for example in case of RSV, M-PMV, MLV, and many more viruses). After a retrovirus hijacks a cell, the infected cell produces multiple copies of the virus which are then released into the host's bloodstream. These newly released viruses must mature before they can infect other cells. A strategy for preventing virus spread is therefore, to lock the viral particles in their immature, non-infectious state. However, to render the immature virus an attractive target for structure-based drug development one needs to know its chemical structure. Unfortunately, the complexity and size of the viral particle ― an incomplete hexagonal shell with a size close to 100 nm ― have prevented the experimental determination of the chemical, namely atomic level, structure of the virus. As reported recently, a team of computational and experimental researchers have provided an atomic structure of the immature retroviral lattice for the Rous Sarcoma Virus. The multi-domain RSV model was derived through a combination of state-of-the-art modeling techniques, including, cryo-EM-guided homology modeling, large-scale molecular dynamics simulations using enhanced sampling capabilities available in NAMD, together with experimental measurements such as X-ray crystallography and a wealth of biochemical data. Particularly, the model reveals novel features of the packing and dynamics of the immature capsid protein with implications for the maturation process and confirms the stabilizing roles of the so-called upstream and downstream domains of the immature RSV. More information is available on our retrovirus website, and in a highlight video.

Related Spotlights

Related Publications
Related Research
Investigators
Publications Database
  • Mature HIV-1 capsid structure by cryo-electron microscopy and all-atom molecular dynamics. Gongpu Zhao, Juan R. Perilla, Ernest L. Yufenyuy, Xin Meng, Bo Chen, Jiying Ning, Jinwoo Ahn, Angela M. Gronenborn, Klaus Schulten, Christopher Aiken, and Peijun Zhang. Nature, 497:643-646, 2013.
  • Cyclophilin A stabilizes HIV-1 capsid through a novel non-canonical binding site. Chuang Liu, Juan R. Perilla, Jiying Ning, Manman Lu, Guangjin Hou, Ruben Ramalho, Gregory Bedwell, In-Ja Byeon, Jinwoo Ahn, Jiong Shi, Angela Gronenborn, Peter Prevelige, Itay Rousso, Christopher Aiken, Tatyana Polenova, Klaus Schulten, and Peijun Zhang. Nature Communications, 7:10714, 2016.
  • Dynamic allostery governs cyclophylin A-HIV capsid interplay. Manman Lu, Guangjin Hou, Huilan Zhang, Christopher L. Suiter, Jinwoo Ahn, In-Ja L. Byeon, Juan R. Perilla, Christopher J. Langmead, Ivan Hung, Peter L. Gor'kov, Zhehong Gan, William Brey, Christopher Aiken, Peijun Zhang, Klaus Schulten, Angela M. Gronenborn, and Tatyana Polenova. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 112:14617-14622, 2015.
  • Atomic modeling of an immature retroviral lattice using molecular dynamics and mutagenesis. Boon Chong Goh, Juan R. Perilla, Matthew R. England, Katrina J. Heyrana, Rebecca C. Craven, and Klaus Schulten. Structure, 23:1414-1425, 2015.
  • HIV-1 capsid function is regulated by dynamics: Quantitative atomic-resolution insights by integrating magic-angle-spinning NMR, QM/MM, and MD. Huilan Zhang, Guangjin Hou, Manman Lu, Jinwoo Ahn, In-Ja L. Byeon, Christopher J. Langmead, Juan R. Perilla, Ivan Hung, Peter L. Gor'kov, Zhehong Gan, William W. Brey, David A. Case, Klaus Schulten, Angela M. Gronenborn, and Tatyana Polenova. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 138:14066-14075, 2016.
  • All-atom molecular dynamics of virus capsids as drug targets. Juan R. Perilla, Jodi A. Hadden, Boon Chong Goh, Christopher G. Mayne, and Klaus Schulten. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 7:1836-1844, 2016.
  • Molecular dynamics simulations of the complete satellite tobacco mosaic virus. Peter L. Freddolino, Anton S. Arkhipov, Steven B. Larson, Alexander McPherson, and Klaus Schulten. Structure, 14:437-449, 2006.
  • Stability and dynamics of virus capsids described by coarse-grained modeling. Anton Arkhipov, Peter L. Freddolino, and Klaus Schulten. Structure, 14:1767-1777, 2006.
  • Funded by a grant from
    the National Institute of
    General Medical Sciences
    of the National Institutes
    of Health