A statistical approach to computer processing of cryo-electron microscope images: virion classification and 3-D reconstruction

J Struct Biol. 2003 Oct-Nov;144(1-2):24-50. doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2003.09.023.

Abstract

The scattering density of the virus is represented as a truncated weighted sum of orthonormal basis functions in spherical coordinates, where the angular dependence of each basis function has icosahedral symmetry. A statistical model of the image formation process is proposed and the maximum likelihood estimation method computed by an expectation-maximization algorithm is used to estimate the weights in the sum and thereby compute a 3-D reconstruction of the virus particle. If multiple types of virus particle are represented in the boxed images then multiple 3-D reconstructions are computed simultaneously without first requiring that the type of particle shown in each boxed image be determined. Examples of the procedure are described for viruses with known structure: (1). 3-D reconstruction of Flockhouse Virus from experimental images, (2). 3-D reconstruction of the capsid of Nudaurelia Omega Capensis Virus from synthetic images, and (3). 3-D reconstruction of both the capsid and the procapsid of Nudaurelia Omega Capensis Virus from a mixture of unclassified synthetic images.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Capsid / chemistry
  • Cryoelectron Microscopy / methods*
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Models, Statistical
  • Normal Distribution
  • RNA Viruses / genetics
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Virion / chemistry*
  • X-Rays