BEIJING (Agencies): In a groundbreaking study, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have revealed the DNA replication mechanism of the monkeypox virus for the first time. This discovery is expected to provide a crucial structural basis for the research and development of future antiviral drugs.
Monkeypox, a zoonotic virus disease caused by the monkeypox virus, has infected more than 92,000 people worldwide. The replication of its genome is primarily facilitated by a self-encoded enzyme complex. However, the working mechanism of this complex has remained unclear until now.
The research team, led by Gao Fu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, conducted a novel study on the whole enzyme structure of the monkeypox virus’s DNA polymerase. Using electron cryo-microscopy made of a graphene grid, the team analyzed the high-resolution three-dimensional structure of the monkeypox virus polymerase enzyme complex in its replication conformation for the first time. This analysis revealed the working mechanism of monkeypox virus DNA replication and its sustainable synthesis ability.
The team believes that these research results significantly enhance our understanding of the genome replication process of the monkeypox virus. They will provide a key structural basis for the subsequent development of antiviral drugs. The research findings were recently published in the internationally renowned academic journal, Science.