Biophysical Society Thematic Meeting | Singapore

Mechanobiology of Disease

Friday Speaker Abstracts

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.

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