Crystal Structure of Human Adenovirus at 3.5 Å Resolution

Abstract

Human Adenovirus Structures Human adenoviruses may be a common cause of acute infections in humans, but they can also be used as vectors for vaccine and therapeutic gene transfer. Rational engineering of safe adenovirus vectors has been hampered by a lack of high-resolution structural information. Two papers now describe the structure of human adenovirus using complementary techniques. Reddy et al. (p. 1071 ; see the Perspective by Harrison ) have determined the crystal structure at 3.5 angstrom resolution, while Liu et al. (p. 1038 ; see the Perspective by Harrison ) solved the structure to 3.6 angstrom resolution by electron microscopy. Together the structures provide insights into viral assembly, stabilization, and cell entry mechanisms.