Quaternary structure of the immunostimulating complex (iscom). NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1990. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Quaternary structure of the immunostimulating complex (iscom).

J Ultrastruct Mol Struct Res. 1989 Dec;102(3):240-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/90237592
Ozel M; Hoglund S; Gelderblom HR; Morein B; Robert Koch-Institute of the Federal Health Office, Berlin,; Federal Republic of Germany.

Abstract: Proteins of either HIV-1, hepatitis B, or rabies virus were incorporated with the adjuvant substance Quil A and cholesterol into the immunostimulating complex: iscom. Formation and symmetry of this regular complex were analyzed by electron microscopy. Micellar structures with a diameter of about 12 nm, occasionally with a 7-nm stain-filled center, were formed in a 0.03% water suspension of Quil A. Cavities or holes appeared in the smooth structures of cholesterol upon the addition of Quil A, and after mixing Quil A and cholesterol 1:1 fragile and flattened structures of matrix were produced with a diameter of about 40 nm. By freeze-drying the matrix was preserved as a cage-like, isometric particle. Stable iscom particles composed of Quil A, cholesterol, and selected viral proteins had an approximate diameter of 32 nm. The particles had an uniform, cage-like structure, exhibiting icosahedral symmetry, irrespective of the viral proteins incorporated. Tilting experiments and rotational image analysis indicated that the iscoms were composed of 20 morphological subunits assembled in a pentagonal dodecahedron with a hole on each of the 12 pentagonal faces. The symmetrical shape of the iscom might explain both its remarkable stability and its capacity to efficiently present antigens to the immune system.
Keywords: *Adjuvants, Immunologic Animal *Hepatitis B *HIV-1 Microscopy, Electron *Rabies Virus *Saponins Viral Proteins/IMMUNOLOGY/*ULTRASTRUCTURE JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDadjuvants,immunologicanimalKWDhepatitisbKWDhiv-1microscopy,electronKWDrabiesvirusKWDsaponinsviralproteins/immunology/KWDultrastructurejournalarticle
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Copyright © 1990 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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