American scientists from the La Jolla Institute of Immunology announced the discovery of the nucleocapsid structure of filoviruses, which include the Ebola and Marburg viruses. This information will help speed up the creation of universal drugs for deadly and almost incurable infections. The study was published in the scientific journal Cell.
The Ebola virus uses its nucleocapsid structure to protect and replicate its own genetic material inside host cells and to suppress cellular immunity. The nucleocapsid allows Ebola to turn infected host cells into factories for producing new viruses.
In the experiment, the team used cryo-electron tomography to visualize the virus's nucleocapsids inside infected cells. It turned out that the Ebola nucleocapsid resembles a coiled landline telephone cord.
Scientists have discovered that the cylindrical structure consists of three layers, each of which plays a role in the replication of the virus. Before the visualization, no one knew about the outer layer.
Knowing how the nucleocapsid works could help target drugs and stop filoviruses, the researchers say.
According to the World Health Organization, the fatality rate of hemorrhagic fevers caused by the Ebola and Marburg viruses ranges from 25% to 90%.
