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 (29)
Adenovirus
Adenovirus has an icosahedral capsid with unusual cell-binding fibers |
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Bacteriophage phiX174
Bacteriophage phiX174 hijacks bacterial cells and forces them to make new copies of the virus |
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Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies
Structural studies of broadly neutralizing antibodies are paving the way to vaccines for HIV, influenza and RSV |
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Coronavirus Proteases
Coronavirus proteases are attractive targets for the design of antiviral drugs. |
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Dengue Virus
Atomic structures of dengue virus are giving new hope for creation of a vaccine |
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Ebola Virus Proteins
Structures of ebola virus proteins are giving new hope for fighting this deadly virus |
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Glucocorticoid Receptor and Dexamethasone
An anti-inflammatory drug has given us a new way to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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Hemagglutinin
Influenza virus binds to cells and infects them using hemagglutinin |
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Hepatitis C Virus Protease/Helicase
Structures of hepatitis C viral proteins have led to the discovery of direct-acting antivirals. |
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HIV Capsid
At the center of HIV, an unusual cone-shaped capsid protects the viral genome and delivers it into infected cells |
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HIV Envelope Glycoprotein
Envelope protein attaches HIV to the cells that it infects and powers fusion of the virus with the cell membrane |
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HIV Reverse Transcriptase
HIV builds a DNA copy of its RNA genome, providing a unique target for drug therapy |
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Human Papillomavirus and Vaccines
The capsid protein of papillomavirus is used in vaccines that prevent cervical cancer. |
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Influenza Neuraminidase
Neuraminidase is an important target for influenza drugs |
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Integrase
HIV integrase allows HIV to insert itself into the genome of an infected cell |
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Measles Virus Proteins
Six proteins in measles virus work together to infect cells. |
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Parvoviruses
Viruses that cause distemper are surrounded by an icosahedral capsid |
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Poliovirus and Rhinovirus
Crystallographic structures reveal the atomic details of viruses and how to fight them |
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Quasisymmetry in Icosahedral Viruses
Viruses use quasisymmetry to build large capsids out of many small subunits |
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RSV Fusion Glycoprotein
Structures of the fusion glycoprotein from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were used to engineer effective vaccines to fight viral infection. |
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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. |
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SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase
Coronaviruses duplicate their RNA genome using a specialized polymerase |
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SARS-CoV-2 Spike
Coronavirus spike protein binds to receptors on cell surfaces, and is a target for vaccine development. |
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SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Antibodies
Structural biologists are revealing the many ways that antibodies recognize SARS-CoV-2 |
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Simian Virus 40
SV40 hijacks the cells it infects using only a handful of proteins |
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Small Interfering RNA (siRNA)
Our cells continually look for pieces of double-stranded RNA, a possible sign of viral infection |
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Tobacco Mosaic Virus
A cylindrical arrangement of proteins protects a long strand of RNA in TMV |
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YES Complex
Bacteriophage phiX174 makes a small protein that kills bacterial cells. |
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Zika Virus
Cryo-electron microscopy reveals the structure of Zika virus |
Learning Resources (28)
Dengue Virus
Paper Model
Atomic structures of dengue virus are giving new hope for creation of a vaccine
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HIV Capsid
Paper Model
At the center of HIV, an unusual cone-shaped capsid protects the viral genome and delivers it into infected cells
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Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Paper Model
The capsid protein of papillomavirus is used in vaccines that prevent cervical cancer.
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Quasisymmetry in Icosahedral Viruses
Activity Page
Build 3D paper models of several viruses to explore how quasisymmetry builds capsids with different sizes.
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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.
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Poxviruses
Flyer
Structures of poxvirus proteins are helping researchers find new ways to combat mpox.
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200 Icosahedral Viruses
Poster
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Virus Structures
Flyer
Learn about polyhedral, helical, complex, and enveloped viruses with examples drawn at approximately 900,000x magnification. Created in collaboration with EMDataBank.
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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.
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Coronavirus
Poster
Images of the coronavirus
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The Structural Biology of HIV (Poster)
Poster
A painting of the HIV virus surrounded by the atomic structures from the PDB.
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Coronavirus Main Protease
Video
SARS-CoV-2 main protease protein with inhibitor N3
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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.
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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. |
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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).
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Learn about HIV from the RCSB Protein Data Bank
Video
Use the RCSB PDB Resources to Learn about HIV
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2015 HIV
Video
Winning videos in the 2015 Video Challenge for High School Students "Detecting and Combatting HIV in 3D"
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2014 HIV
Video
Winning videos in the 2014 Video Challenge for High School Students "Structural Biology of HIV"
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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.
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Coloring Coronavirus
Coloring Book
Color coronavirus based on David Goodsell's painting.
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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.
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The Search for Drugs to Fight COVID-19
Article
Medical researchers are testing previously-discovered antiviral drugs for effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2.
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Exploring the Structural Biology of Viruses
Article
Structures of viral proteins help us discover effective ways to fight infection.
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Curriculum Resources (3)
Structural Biology Highlights (3)
Geis Digital Archive (1)
Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus (TBSV)
Geis illustrates the structure of tomato bushy stunt virus, which was first revealed by X-ray crystallography in 1978 (Harrison et al., 1978). |
Goodsell Molecular Landscapes (14)
Influenza Virus
Cross section of influenza virus
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Bacteriophage T4 Infection
Bacteriophage T4 infects bacterial cells, forcing the cell to create many new bacteriophages.
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HIV-Infected Cell
Integrative illustration of a cell infected with HIV-1
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Phage-based COVID-19 Vaccine
Genetically-engineered phages are being used to design coronavirus vaccines.
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Immunological Synapse
Antigen-presenting cells stimulate T-cells with small viral peptides.
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Coronavirus Life Cycle
Coronaviruses remodel cellular membranes when they replicate.
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SARS-CoV-2 Fusion
SARS-CoV-2 fuses with endosomal membranes, releasing the viral RNA genome into the cell.
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Coronavirus
A cross section through coronavirus in respiratory mucus.
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SARS-CoV-2 and Neutralizing Antibodies
SARS-CoV-2 in blood plasma with neutralizing antibodies
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Influenza Vaccine
Influenza vaccine causes the production of antibodies that fight infection by the virus
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Measles Virus Proteins
Measles Virus Proteins (2019) by David S. Goodsell
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Poliovirus Neutralization
Polio vaccine causes the immune system to create antibodies that neutralize poliovirus
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Zika Virus
Zika virus (2016) by David S. Goodsell
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Ebola Virus
Ebola Virus (2014) by David S. Goodsell
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