Search for: All records

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a very large dsDNA virus. The accepted shape of the WSSV virion has been as ellipsoidal, with a tail-like extension. However, due to the scarcity of reliable references, the pathogenesis and morphogenesis of WSSV are not well understood. Here, we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) to address some knowledge gaps. We concluded that mature WSSV virions with a stout oval-like shape do not have tail-like extensions. Furthermore, there were two distinct ends in WSSV nucleocapsids: a portal cap and a closed base. A C14 symmetric structure of the WSSV nucleocapsid was also proposed, according to our Cryo-EM map. Immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) revealed that VP664 proteins, the main components of the 14 assembly units, form a ring-like architecture. Moreover, WSSV nucleocapsids were also observed to undergo unique helical dissociation. Based on these new results, we propose a novel morphogenetic pathway of WSSV. 

Abstract Chemical heterogeneity on biomaterial surfaces can transform its interfacial properties, rendering nanoscale heterogeneity profoundly consequential during bioadhesion. To examine the role played by chemical heterogeneity in the adsorption of viruses on synthetic surfaces, a range of novel coatings is developed wherein a tunable mixture of electrostatic tethers for viral binding, and carbohydrate brushes, bearing pendant α‐mannose, β‐galactose, or β‐glucose groups, is incorporated. The effects of binding site density, brush composition, and brush architecture on viral adsorption, with the goal of formulating design specifications for virus‐resistant coatings are experimentally evaluated. It is concluded that virus‐coating interactions are shaped by the interplay between brush architecture and binding site density, after quantifying the adsorption of adenoviruses, influenza, and fibrinogen on a library of carbohydrate brushes co‐immobilized with different ratios of binding sites. These insights will be of utility in guiding the design of polymer coatings in realistic settings where they will be populated with defects.