# Structure and Function of Icosahedral Viruses

> **NIH NIH R01** · PURDUE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $481,534

## Abstract

Project Summary
 The new direct electron detectors (DED) now available for electron microscopes,
together with improvements in the available software, has made it possible to determine the
structures to about 2.5Å resolution of molecular assemblies, that have a molecular mass greater
than about 200kDa, given reasonable homogeneity of the sample. We had a Gatan K2 Summit
DED detector installed in July 2015 on our FEI Titan Krios electron microscope.
 The DED has made it possible to re-examine many earlier results of viruses when
complexed with cellular receptors or neutralizing antibodies to attain near atomic resolution.
That means we will now be able to see the fundamental chemical bonds that determine the
properties of viruses and their complexes with other molecules. It may also be possible to
achieve near atomic resolution of large dsDNA viruses. We, therefore, plan to re-examine small
icosahedral +RNA picornaviruses and icosahedral ssDNA parvoviruses when complexed with
various ligands, as well as large dsDNA viruses. This is an enormous opportunity made possible
by the convergence of gaining basic knowledge of virus structure and the vast improvements in
electron microscope technology.
 Our plans include the study of the rhino C and the EV-A71 and EV-D68 picornaviruses.
The former viruses are responsible for about 50% of asthmatic attacks in children and the latter
viruses have been responsible for recent outbreaks in Southeast Asia of hand, foot and mouth
disease in children and for the childhood respiratory difficulties in the US in 2014, respectively.
In particular we plan to study recent isolates of these viruses complexed with potential cellular
receptors and with neutralizing antibodies. We are also planning to study virus-like particles of
human B19 parvoviruses when complexed with potential cellular receptor molecules.
 Many very large icosahedral dsDNA viruses have been isolated in the last decade.
Previously these viruses had remained undetected and unknown because they were unable to
pass through the filters used to differentiate viruses from bacteria. Although usually cultured on
amoeba in the laboratory, their natural hosts include humans. They are able to perform most of
the functions of a living cell and challenge the definition of a virus. Infection by Paramecium
bursaria chlorella virus type 1 (PBCV-1) has been associated with schizophrenia. However, the
full impact on human health of these numerous large viruses has yet to be fully established.
Imposing the resolution should allow recognition of the minor capsid proteins and, therefore,
insight into the assembly and infection processes of these large viruses.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9991711
- **Project number:** 5R01AI011219-48
- **Recipient organization:** PURDUE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Richard J. Kuhn
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $481,534
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1976-04-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9991711

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9991711, Structure and Function of Icosahedral Viruses (5R01AI011219-48). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9991711. Licensed CC0.

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