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. 1997 Sep;71(9):6863–6868. doi: 10.1128/jvi.71.9.6863-6868.1997

Cryo-electron microscopy structure of yeast Ty retrotransposon virus-like particles.

K J Palmer 1, W Tichelaar 1, N Myers 1, N R Burns 1, S J Butcher 1, A J Kingsman 1, S D Fuller 1, H R Saibil 1
PMCID: PMC191967  PMID: 9261411

Abstract

The virus-like particles (VLPs) produced by the yeast retrotransposon Ty1 are functionally related to retroviral cores. These particles are unusual in that they have variable radif. A paired mass-radius analysis of VLPs by scanning transmission electron microscopy showed that many of these particles form an icosahedral T-number series. Three-dimensional reconstruction to 38-A resolution from cryo-electron micrographs of T = 3 and T = 4 shells revealed that the single structural protein encoded by the TYA gene assembles into spiky shells from trimeric units.

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Selected References

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