title: Direct visualization of the putative portal in the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus capsid by cryoelectron tomography.
abstract: Genetic and biochemical studies have suggested the existence of a bacteriophage-like, DNA-packaging/ejecting portal complex in herpesviruses capsids, but its arrangement remained unknown. Here, we report the first visualization of a unique vertex in the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) capsid by cryoelectron tomography, thus providing direct structural evidence for the existence of a portal complex in a gammaherpesvirus. This putative KSHV portal is an internally localized, umbilicated structure and lacks all of the external machineries characteristic of portals in DNA bacteriophages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., MSB 2.280, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Dean H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kedes
authors.forename: Z Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D019288:Herpesvirus 8, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins