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Combined structure of Coxsackievirus A21 and ICAM-1
A composite image showing the combined structure of Coxsackievirus A21 and a receptor molecule called ICAM-1, or intracellular adhesion molecule 1. The virus is one of those known to cause the common cold, and the receptor molecule enables the virus to attach to and infect host cells. ICAM-1, located on the surface of cells, is represented in blue, and the virus is represented in red.
More about this Image
Researchers at Purdue University determined the structure of the virus-molecule complex by combining images taken using X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. Being able to determine the combined structure of the virus and ICAM-1 may teaches scientists how the virus recognizes the molecule and how it then anchors to the cell, which represents the initial stages of infection. The virus-molecule complex in the center of this image is a thousandth as wide as a human hair.
This NSF-funded research is aimed at understanding the structures of viruses. (Date of Image: July 12, 2005)
Credit: Image courtesy Purdue University Department of Biological Sciences
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