Figure 6. MxB induces disassembly of herpesviral capsids.

(A) Experimental design: Capsids were adsorbed onto hydrophilic enhanced carbon-coated EM grids for 20 min at RT. The capsids were incubated in cytosol with ATP/GTP^high, and the incubation was stopped at different times by extensive washing. The samples were analyzed by EM after negative staining with uranyl acetate. (B–D) Capsids after incubation in cytosol derived from rested Mφ or IFN-induced Mφ_IFN macrophages, or control or MxB(1-715) A549 expressing cells for 1 hr at 37 °C, and classified as (B) intact, (C) punched or (D) disassembled flat phenotypes. The number of capsomers per flat particle was counted, and is displayed at the bottom of each figures. (E) Nuclear VZV capsids remain intact (Ei) after incubation in the cytosol of A549 control cells, or but appear punched (Eii) or as flat shells (Eiii, Eiv) after incubation in the cytosol of A549 cells expressing MxB. Scale bar: 50 nm.

Figure 6—figure supplement 1. Capsid disassembly intermediates by anti-capsid immunoEM.

Images of capsids after negative staining and labeling with antibodies raised against the major capsid protein VP5 (NC-1), after incubation in ATP-complemented cytosol from A549 control or MxB(1-715) expressing cells for 60 min at 37 °C, and classified as (A) intact, (B) punched, or (C) flattened shells. Scale bar: 50 nm.