title: Biophysical methods to monitor structural aspects of the adenovirus infectious cycle.
abstract: In this chapter we compile a battery of biophysical and imaging methods suitable to investigate adenovirus structural stability, structure, and assembly. Some are standard methods with a long history of use in virology, such as embedding and sectioning of infected cells, negative staining, or immunoelectron microscopy, as well as extrinsic fluorescence. The newer cryo-electron microscopy technique, which combined with advanced image processing tools has recently yielded an atomic resolution picture of the complete virion, is also described. Finally, we detail the procedure for imaging and interacting with single adenovirus virions using the atomic force microscope in liquid conditions. We provide examples of the kind of data obtained with each technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Macromolecular Structure, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Cantoblanco, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menéndez-Conejero
authors.forename: Ana J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pérez-Berná
authors.forename: Gabriela N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Condezo
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortega-Esteban
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: del Alamo
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: de Pablo
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: San Martín
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods