title: The three-dimensional structure of Mimivirus.
abstract: Mimivirus, the prototypic member of the new family of Mimiviridae, is the largest virus known to date. Progress has been made recently in determining the three-dimensional structure of the 0.75-microm diameter virion using cryo-electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. These showed that the virus is composed of an outer layer of dense fibers surrounding an icosahedrally shaped capsid and an internal membrane sac enveloping the genomic material of the virus. Additionally, a unique starfish-like structure at one of the fivefold vertices, required by the virus for infecting its host, has been defined in more detail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1971, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klose
authors.forename: Yurii G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Kuznetsov
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Siyang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McPherson
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rossmann
mesh_terms: D002213:Capsid / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D056686:Mimiviridae / Q000648:ultrastructure*