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 Printable version |
Crystallography and the study of poliovirus |
Virologie. Volume 2, Number 5, 369-76, Septembre-Octobre 1998, Revues
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 Résumé
Article gratuit
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Author(s) : M.-W. Wien |
Summary : Knowledge of the appearance and three-dimensional structure of an object provides a concrete model that can be used to better understand the function of the object. Consequently, in the 20 years since the first virus structure was described at high-resolution, crystallographic results have profoundly influenced our understanding of how viruses look and behave. In particular, the structures of picornaviruses have arguably been studied in greater detail than any other family of viruses. Thus, they provide an excellent example to explore how knowledge about structure has refined and influenced the study of viruses. Whereas the earliest picornavirus structures revolutionized our conceptualization of the structural basis of antigenicity, later studies increased our understanding of the flexibility of the viral capsid. Now, many of the techniques and principles developed while studying the picornaviruses are being applied to other virus families. These advances, along with the increasing close collaboration between crystallographers and virologists, insure that the practice of structural virology will continue to develop and prosper. |
Keywords : Structural virology – Crystallography – Poliovirus. |
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