Virus structures and molecular biology exchange glances.

The definition of structure as the arrangement of and relations between the parts of something complex has always been a challenge in virology. The balance required for a virus to be sufficiently stable to allow transmission yet also be primed for disassembly on contact with a permissive cell is precarious and seemingly difficult to attain. Add to this that virus structural components often have multiple functions such as receptor binding, fusion, and cleavage, and the puzzle deepens. It also has consequences: virus yields may be compromised, vaccine shelf-life may be limited, and the ability to quickly evolve away from an intervention may be underestimated. Progress in understanding virus structure and the ways in which it might be exploited were the subject of the latest International Virus Assembly Symposium. Whole viruses, individual components, and transient intermediates were revealed at sufficiently high resolution to deduce the mechanisms concerned. [Display omitted] In this meeting report, Roy et al. discuss the advances in understanding virus structure, assembly, and replication reported at the recent International Virus Assembly Symposium. The contribution of cryoelectron microscopy and tomography are noted, along with the application of the data for the rational design of vaccines and antivirals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]