Retrovirus envelope protein complex structure in situ studied by cryo-electron tomography.

ABSTRACT: We used cryo-electron tomography in conjunction with single-particle averaging techniques to study the structures of frozen-hydrated envelope glycoprotein (Env) complexes on intact Moloney murine leukemia retrovirus particles. Cryo-electron tomography allows 3D imaging of viruses in toto at a resolution sufficient to locate individual macromolecules, and local averaging of abundant complexes substantially improves the resolution. The averaging of repetitive features in electron tomograms is hampered by a low signal-to-noise ratio and anisotropic resolution, which results from the "missing-wedge" effect. We developed an iterative 3D averaging algorithm that compensates for this effect and used it to determine the trimeric structure of Env to a resolution of 2.7 nm, at which individual domai

SUBMITTER: Forster F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC555690 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature