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Mechanobiology of Disease
Friday Speaker Abstracts
39
Telomerase and G-quadruplexes
Daniela Rhodes
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
No Abstract
Cancer Suppression and the Mechanics of Nucleoprotein Assemblies in DNA
Recombination
Ashok Venkitaraman
The Ursula Zoellner Professor of Cancer Research, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
No Abstract
Near Atomic Resolution CryoEM Structure of the Thermally Stable Zika Virus
Shee Mei Lok
.
DUKE-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Zika virus (ZIKV), formerly a neglected pathogen came into the spotlight recently, when it was
associated with microcephaly in foetuses, and Guillian-Barré syndrome in adults. Here we
present a 3.7Å resolution cryoEM structure of ZIKV. The overall architecture of the virus is
similar to that of the other flaviviruses. Sequence and structural comparison of the ZIKV
envelope (E) protein with other flaviviruses showed that parts of the E protein are similar to the
neurovirulent West Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses while others to the dengue virus
(DENV). However, their contribution to flavivirus pathobiology is currently not understood. The
virus particle was observed to be structurally stable even when incubated at 40oC, in sharp
contrast to the less thermally stable DENV. This is also reflected in the infectivity of ZIKV
compared to DENV2 and DENV4 at different temperatures. The cryoEM structure shows a virus
with a more compact surface. This structural stability of the virus may help it to survive in the
harsh conditions of semen, saliva and urine. Antibodies or drugs that destabilize the structure
may help reduce the disease outcome or limit the spread of the virus.