Averaging of viral envelope glycoprotein spikes from electron cryotomography reconstructions using Jsubtomo

J Vis Exp. 2014 Oct 21:(92):e51714. doi: 10.3791/51714.

Abstract

Enveloped viruses utilize membrane glycoproteins on their surface to mediate entry into host cells. Three-dimensional structural analysis of these glycoprotein 'spikes' is often technically challenging but important for understanding viral pathogenesis and in drug design. Here, a protocol is presented for viral spike structure determination through computational averaging of electron cryo-tomography data. Electron cryo-tomography is a technique in electron microscopy used to derive three-dimensional tomographic volume reconstructions, or tomograms, of pleomorphic biological specimens such as membrane viruses in a near-native, frozen-hydrated state. These tomograms reveal structures of interest in three dimensions, albeit at low resolution. Computational averaging of sub-volumes, or sub-tomograms, is necessary to obtain higher resolution detail of repeating structural motifs, such as viral glycoprotein spikes. A detailed computational approach for aligning and averaging sub-tomograms using the Jsubtomo software package is outlined. This approach enables visualization of the structure of viral glycoprotein spikes to a resolution in the range of 20-40 Å and study of the study of higher order spike-to-spike interactions on the virion membrane. Typical results are presented for Bunyamwera virus, an enveloped virus from the family Bunyaviridae. This family is a structurally diverse group of pathogens posing a threat to human and animal health.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Bunyamwera virus / chemistry
  • Bunyamwera virus / metabolism
  • Electron Microscope Tomography / methods*
  • Glycoproteins / analysis
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Software*
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / analysis*
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Glycoproteins
  • Viral Envelope Proteins