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Journal of Virology, July 2002, p. 7239-7246, Vol. 76, No. 14
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.76.14.7239-7246.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Aura Virus Structure Suggests that the T=4 Organization Is a Fundamental Property of Viral Structural Proteins

Wei Zhang,1 Bonnie R. Fisher,1 Norman H. Olson,1 James H. Strauss,2 Richard J. Kuhn,1 and Timothy S. Baker1*

Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907,1 Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 911252

Received 26 December 2001/ Accepted 15 April 2002

Aura and Sindbis viruses are closely related alphaviruses. Unlike other alphaviruses, Aura virus efficiently encapsidates both genomic RNA (11.8 kb) and subgenomic RNA (4.2 kb) to form virus particles. Previous studies on negatively stained Aura virus particles predicted that there were two major size classes with potential T=3 and T=4 capsid structures. We have used cryoelectron microscopy and three-dimensional image reconstruction techniques to examine the native morphology of different classes of Aura virus particles produced in BHK cells. Purified particles separated into two components in a sucrose gradient. Reconstructions of particles in the top and bottom components were computed to resolutions of 17 and 21 Å, respectively, and compared with reconstructions of Sindbis virus and Ross River virus particles. Aura virus particles of both top and bottom components have similar, T=4 structures that resemble those of other alphaviruses. The morphology of Aura virus glycoprotein spikes closely resembles that of Sindbis virus spikes and is detectably different from that of Ross River virus spikes. Thus, some aspects of the surface structure of members of the Sindbis virus lineage have been conserved, but other aspects have diverged from the Semliki Forest/Ross River virus lineage.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Phone: (765) 494-5645. Fax: (765) 496-1189. E-mail: tsb{at}bragg.bio.purdue.edu.

Journal of Virology, July 2002, p. 7239-7246, Vol. 76, No. 14
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.76.14.7239-7246.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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