Illuminating the virus life cycle with single-molecule FRET imaging.

摘要: Single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) imaging has emerged as a powerful tool to probe conformational dynamics of viral proteins, identify novel structural intermediates that are hiding in averaging population-based measurements, permit access the energetics transitions and such precise molecular mechanisms replication. One strength smFRET is capability characterizing biological molecules their fully hydrated/native state, which not necessarily available other methods. Elegant experimental design for physiologically relevant conditions, intact virions, permitted detection previously unknown states glycoproteins, revealed asymmetric intermediates, allowed real-time changes during fusion. As more laboratories applying smFRET, our understanding dynamic nature proteins throughout virus life cycle predicted improve assist development antiviral therapies vaccine design.