SPHERICAL VIRUS ASSEMBLY

A wide variety of structural and biophysical techniques have been used to study viral assembly pathways. For example, the use of three-dimen sional electron microscopy has allowed the visualization of viral asse mbly intermediates, as well as mature capsids. More detailed views of small icosahedral viruses and viral proteins, such as proteases, have been provided by X-ray crystallography. The combination of these struc tural techniques represents a powerful new approach to investigating l arge assemblies in atomic detail. The production of recombinant virus- like particles has become another popular approach to studying viral a ssembly.