Cryo-electron tomography reveals coupled flavivirus replication, budding and maturation
Issued Date
2026-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20411723
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105028335488
Pubmed ID
41559045
Journal Title
Nature Communications
Volume
17
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Nature Communications Vol.17 No.1 (2026)
Suggested Citation
Dahmane S., Schexnaydre E., Zhang J., Singh B.K., Rosendal E., Chotiwan N., Sharma K.B., Nilsson E., Peters M.B.A., Yau W.L., Rönfeldt S., Lundmark R., Barad B.A., Grotjahn D.A., Liese S., Carlson A., Överby A.K., Carlson L.A. Cryo-electron tomography reveals coupled flavivirus replication, budding and maturation. Nature Communications Vol.17 No.1 (2026). doi:10.1038/s41467-026-68483-4 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/114643
Title
Cryo-electron tomography reveals coupled flavivirus replication, budding and maturation
Author's Affiliation
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Flaviviruses replicate their genomes in replication organelles (ROs) formed as bud-like invaginations on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, which also functions as the site for virion assembly. While this localization is well established, it is not known to what extent viral membrane remodeling, genome replication, virion assembly, and maturation are coordinated. Here, we image tick-borne flavivirus replication in human cells using cryo-electron tomography. We find that the RO membrane bud is shaped by a combination of a curvature-establishing membrane modification and the pressure from intraluminal template RNA. A protein complex at the RO base extends to an adjacent membrane, where immature virus particles bud. Naturally occurring furin site variants determine whether virus particles mature in the immediate vicinity of ROs. We further visualize replication in mouse brain tissue by cryo-electron tomography. Taken together, these findings reveal a close spatial coupling of flavivirus genome replication, budding, and maturation.