Findings reveal how dengue virus matures, becomes infectious

The precursor membrane protein is about as wide as 50 nanometers, or billionths of a meter, and the envelope protein is about 3 nanometers, or nearly atomic-scale. A nanometer is about the size of 10 hydrogen atoms strung together.

The research has been funded primarily by the National Institutes of Health. Rossmann's and Chen's research laboratories are affiliated with Purdue's Markey Center for Structural Biology.

One of the papers was authored by Li, postdoctoral research associate Shee-Mei Lok, Yu, graduate student Ying Zhang, Kuhn, Chen and Rossmann. The other paper was authored by Yu, research scientist Wei Zhang, technician Heather A. Holdaway, Li, postdoctoral research associate Victor A. Kostyuchenko, electron microscopist Paul R. Chipman, Kuhn, Rossmann and Chen.

Future research may focus on determining the virus's changing structure in greater detail.

Writer: Emil Venere, (765) 494-4709,

Sources:

Michael Rossmann, (765) 494-4911,
Jue Chen, (765) 496-3113,
Richard J. Kuhn, (765) 494-1164,

IMAGE CAPTION:

This composite shows an image of the dengue virus, top left, taken with cryoelectron microscopy, and, to the right of that image are reconstructions of how virus particles mature as they move through their host cells. Purdue biologists have determined why the virus undergoes structural changes as it matures in host cells and how the changes are critical for enabling the virus to infect new host cells. Other elements of the composite show structural details of the virus and a vital component made of two linked proteins called precursor membrane protein and envelope protein. (Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences)

A publication-quality photo is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2008/rossmann-mature.jpg

Abstracts on the research in this release are available at: http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008a/080327RossmannMature.html

Note to Journalists: Copies of the research paper are available by contacting the Science press package team at , (202) 326-6440. I-Mei Yu pronounces her name Eee-May-You, and Long Li's last name is pronounced Lee.

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