Measles Virus Structure in 3D Virtual Reality

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Measles is a common disease that is highly infectious and caused by the virus which structure is outlined here.

Measles virus (belonging to the genus Morbilivirus in the family of Paramyxoviridae) is in many aspects similar to the influenza virus. The virus is a sphere of elementary cell membrane that originated from the host cell.

In the membrane there are two kinds of transmembrane glycoproteins: \n\n- the fusion (F) protein and the attachment protein hemagluttinin. They are responsible for binding and entry of the virus into the host cell.

In its interior the measles virus contains the so called matrix protein which was some time ago thought to line the inside of the viral envelope, but now it has been discovered that it forms pasta like helical tubes inside the virus, enveloping the viral genome and nucleocapsid, as shown in this 3D visualization.

We see the matrix proteins coils with their upper parts cut away, thus revealing the nucleocapsid inside.