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Viruses

cellular hijackers

A virus infects living cells and forces them to create many new copies of the virus. Viruses are often very simple, composed of a small genome that encodes only a few proteins, including a coat that finds a cell and infects it with the genome. Atomic structures have revealed both the inner workings of viruses and new avenues for the creation of drugs and vaccines to fight them.

Molecule of the Month Articles (28)

Adenovirus

Bacteriophage phiX174

Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies

Coronavirus Proteases

	Adenovirus Adenovirus has an icosahedral capsid with unusual cell-binding fibers
	Bacteriophage phiX174 Bacteriophage phiX174 hijacks bacterial cells and forces them to make new copies of the virus
	Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies Structural studies of broadly neutralizing antibodies are paving the way to vaccines for HIV, influenza and RSV
	Coronavirus Proteases Coronavirus proteases are attractive targets for the design of antiviral drugs.
	Dengue Virus Atomic structures of dengue virus are giving new hope for creation of a vaccine
	Ebola Virus Proteins Structures of ebola virus proteins are giving new hope for fighting this deadly virus
	Glucocorticoid Receptor and Dexamethasone An anti-inflammatory drug has given us a new way to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
	Hemagglutinin Influenza virus binds to cells and infects them using hemagglutinin
	Hepatitis C Virus Protease/Helicase Structures of hepatitis C viral proteins have led to the discovery of direct-acting antivirals.
	HIV Capsid At the center of HIV, an unusual cone-shaped capsid protects the viral genome and delivers it into infected cells
	HIV Envelope Glycoprotein Envelope protein attaches HIV to the cells that it infects and powers fusion of the virus with the cell membrane
	HIV Reverse Transcriptase HIV builds a DNA copy of its RNA genome, providing a unique target for drug therapy
	Human Papillomavirus and Vaccines The capsid protein of papillomavirus is used in vaccines that prevent cervical cancer.
	Influenza Neuraminidase Neuraminidase is an important target for influenza drugs
	Integrase HIV integrase allows HIV to insert itself into the genome of an infected cell
	Measles Virus Proteins Six proteins in measles virus work together to infect cells.
	Parvoviruses Viruses that cause distemper are surrounded by an icosahedral capsid
	Poliovirus and Rhinovirus Crystallographic structures reveal the atomic details of viruses and how to fight them
	Quasisymmetry in Icosahedral Viruses Viruses use quasisymmetry to build large capsids out of many small subunits
	RSV Fusion Glycoprotein Structures of the fusion glycoprotein from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were used to engineer effective vaccines to fight viral infection.
	SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid and Home Tests Home test kits for SARS-CoV-2 test for the presence of nucleocapsid, the protein that packages the viral genome in infectious virions.
	SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase Coronaviruses duplicate their RNA genome using a specialized polymerase
	SARS-CoV-2 Spike Coronavirus spike protein binds to receptors on cell surfaces, and is a target for vaccine development.
	SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Antibodies Structural biologists are revealing the many ways that antibodies recognize SARS-CoV-2
	Simian Virus 40 SV40 hijacks the cells it infects using only a handful of proteins
	Small Interfering RNA (siRNA) Our cells continually look for pieces of double-stranded RNA, a possible sign of viral infection
	Tobacco Mosaic Virus A cylindrical arrangement of proteins protects a long strand of RNA in TMV
	Zika Virus Cryo-electron microscopy reveals the structure of Zika virus

Learning Resources (28)

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

(Paper Model)

Quasisymmetry in Icosahedral Viruses

(Activity Page)

	Dengue Virus Paper Model Atomic structures of dengue virus are giving new hope for creation of a vaccine
	HIV Capsid Paper Model At the center of HIV, an unusual cone-shaped capsid protects the viral genome and delivers it into infected cells
	Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Paper Model The capsid protein of papillomavirus is used in vaccines that prevent cervical cancer.
	Quasisymmetry in Icosahedral Viruses Activity Page Build 3D paper models of several viruses to explore how quasisymmetry builds capsids with different sizes.
	Zika Virus with and without antibodies Paper Model Atomic-level structures of Zika virus will help researchers better understand how the virus enters human cells and sets the stage for vaccine discovery and drug development.
	Poxviruses Flyer Structures of poxvirus proteins are helping researchers find new ways to combat mpox.
	200 Icosahedral Viruses Poster
	SARS-CoV-2 Genome and Proteins Flyer The genome of SARS-CoV-2 is a single strand of RNA encoding a large collection of proteins that are synthesized by the ribosomal machinery after the virus infects a host cell.
	Award-winning Ebola Illustration Poster David Goodsell's painting, created for the Molecule of the Month feature on Ebola Virus Proteins, was recognized by the 2016 Wellcome Trust Overall Image Award and the 2015 FASEB BioArt Awards.
	Award-winning HIV Enzyme Illustration Poster Video stills of three HIV enzymes are among the 2016 Winners of FASEB's BioArt Competition. The stills are from a molecular animation created by Maria Voigt and David Goodsell that illustrates A Molecular View of HIV Therapy.
	Award-winning Measles Virus Illustration Poster David Goodsell's painting, created for the Molecule of the Month feature on Measles Virus Proteins, was recognized by the 2019 FASEB BioArt Awards.
	Award-winning Respiratory Droplet Illustration Poster Respiratory droplet with SARS-CoV-2 by RCSB PDB's David S. Goodsell was selected as a national finalist in the 2021 Wiki Science Competition in the United States and the 2021 FASEB BioArt Award.
	Virus Structures Flyer Learn about polyhedral, helical, complex, and enveloped viruses with examples drawn at approximately 900,000x magnification. Created in collaboration with EMDataBank.
	Award-winning Zika Virus Illustration Poster At the 2017 Vizzies, David Goodsell's painting was recognized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Popular Science as one of the best science images of the year and selected as the "People's Choice" in the category of illustration.
	Coronavirus Poster Images of the coronavirus
	The Structural Biology of HIV (Poster) Poster A painting of the HIV virus surrounded by the atomic structures from the PDB.
	Coronavirus Main Protease Video SARS-CoV-2 main protease protein with inhibitor N3
	Fighting Coronavirus with Soap Video Always use soap when you wash your hands! Soap molecules break up the outer envelope of viruses such as coronavirus, stopping infection.
	Ebola Virus Proteins Video Tour the molecular anatomy of the Ebola virus with the RCSB PDB. Understanding of the shape and structure of the proteins that make up Ebola is a key component in the fight against the virus. Learn more at Molecule of the Month.
	A Molecular View of HIV Therapy Video After HIV enters a T-cell, three enzymes play essential roles in the life cycle of the virus. Reverse transcriptase copies the viral RNA genome and makes a DNA copy. Integrase inserts this viral DNA into the cell’s DNA. In the last steps of the viral life cycle, HIV protease cuts HIV proteins into their functional parts. Current antiretroviral drugs target these three enzymes, hindering the virus reproduction. However, enzymes can mutate and become drug resistant, making it vital to use a combination of different drugs that target multiple enzymes. This animation was created using many PDB entries for Reverse Transcriptase (3hvt, 3dlk, 3v6d, 3v4i, 3klg, 3v81), Integrase (3os1, 3os0, 3oya), Protease (3pj6, 1kj4, 1hxb, 2az9, 2azc), HIV Polyprotein (1l6n), Capsid Protein (2m8l), and Matrix Protein (1tam).
	Learn about HIV from the RCSB Protein Data Bank Video Use the RCSB PDB Resources to Learn about HIV
	2015 HIV Video Winning videos in the 2015 Video Challenge for High School Students "Detecting and Combatting HIV in 3D"
	2014 HIV Video Winning videos in the 2014 Video Challenge for High School Students "Structural Biology of HIV"
	The Structural Biology of HIV Interactive PDB-101 highlights how these PDB structures have increased our understanding of HIV in an interactive animation and a poster.
	Coloring Coronavirus Coloring Book Color coronavirus based on David Goodsell's painting.
	Bound! Protein-drug matching game Other Resource Bound! is a card game for students 12 and up, where players compete to match the most drugs to their protein targets.
	The Search for Drugs to Fight COVID-19 Article Medical researchers are testing previously-discovered antiviral drugs for effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2.
	Exploring the Structural Biology of Viruses Article Structures of viral proteins help us discover effective ways to fight infection.

	Bacteriophage T4 Infection Bacteriophage T4 infects bacterial cells, forcing the cell to create many new bacteriophages.
	HIV-Infected Cell Integrative illustration of a cell infected with HIV-1
	Phage-based COVID-19 Vaccine Genetically-engineered phages are being used to design coronavirus vaccines.
	Immunological Synapse Antigen-presenting cells stimulate T-cells with small viral peptides.
	SARS-CoV-2 Fusion SARS-CoV-2 fuses with endosomal membranes, releasing the viral RNA genome into the cell.
	SARS-CoV-2 and Neutralizing Antibodies SARS-CoV-2 in blood plasma with neutralizing antibodies
	Coronavirus A cross section through coronavirus in respiratory mucus.
	Coronavirus Life Cycle Coronaviruses remodel cellular membranes when they replicate.
	Influenza Vaccine Influenza vaccine causes the production of antibodies that fight infection by the virus
	Measles Virus Proteins Measles Virus Proteins (2019) by David S. Goodsell
	Poliovirus Neutralization Polio vaccine causes the immune system to create antibodies that neutralize poliovirus
	Zika Virus Zika virus (2016) by David S. Goodsell
	Ebola Virus Ebola Virus (2014) by David S. Goodsell

	Make a Paper Model: HIV Capsid Teaching Notes
	HIV Testing and Treatment: Current and Upcoming
	Measles Outbreak - To Vaccinate or Not?

	Bacteriophage Lambda cII Protein
	SARS Coronavirus Nonstructural Protein 1
	Viroporins

Viruses

Molecule of the Month Articles (28)

Learning Resources (28)

Curriculum Resources (3)

Structural Biology Highlights (3)

Geis Digital Archive (1)

Goodsell Molecular Landscapes (13)