Computing methods for icosahedral and symmetry-mismatch reconstruction of viruses by cryo-electron microscopy

Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of icosahedral viruses has played a crucial role in the development of cryo-electron microscopy single-particle reconstruction, with many cryo-electron microscopy techniques first established for structural studies of icosahedral viruses, owing to their high symmetry and large mass. This review summarizes the computational methods for icosahedral and symmetry-mismatch reconstruction of viruses, as well as the likely challenges and bottlenecks in virus reconstruction, such as symmetry mismatch reconstruction, contrast transformation function (CTF) correction, and particle distortion.