Document
Generically Dependent Continuant
RDF description of Self-assembly of viral capsid protein and RNA molecules of different sizes: Requirement for a specific high protein/RNA mass: Ratio - http://orbis.uaslp.mx/vivo/individual/scopus3103
capsid protein; double stranded RNA; nucleotide; single stranded RNA; virus RNA; amino terminal sequence; article; base pairing; controlled study; in vitro study; molecular weight; nonhuman; priority journal; protein assembly; protein RNA binding; RNA gene; RNA structure; RNA transcription; transmission electron microscopy; virus assembly; virus capsid; virus particle; wild type; Bromovirus; Capsid Proteins; Fabaceae; Plant Diseases; RNA, Viral; Virus Assembly; Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus; Miridae
Self-assembly of viral capsid protein and RNA molecules of different sizes: Requirement for a specific high protein/RNA mass: Ratio
Virus-like particles can be formed by self-assembly of capsid protein (CP) with RNA molecules of increasing length. If the protein insisted on a single radius of curvature, the capsids would be identical in size, independent of RNA length. However, there would be a limit to length of the RNA, and one would not expect RNA much shorter than native viral RNA to be packaged unless multiple copies were packaged. On the other hand, if the protein did not favor predetermined capsid size, one would expect the capsid diameter to increase with increase in RNA length. Here we examine the self-assembly of CP from cowpea chlorotic mottle virus with RNA molecules ranging in length from 140 to 12,000 nucleotides (nt). Each of these RNAs is completely packaged if and only if the protein/RNA mass ratio is sufficiently high; this critical value is the same for all of the RNAs and corresponds to equal RNA and N-terminal-protein charges in the assembly mix. For RNAs much shorter in length than the 3,000 nt of the viral RNA, two or more molecules are assembled into 24- and 26-nm-diameter capsids, whereas for much longer RNAs (>4,500 nt), a single RNA molecule is shared/packaged by two or more capsids with diameters as large as 30 nm. For intermediate lengths, a single RNA is assembled into 26-nm-diameter capsids, the size associated with T=3 wild-type virus. The significance of these assembly results is discussed in relation to likely factors that maintain T=3 symmetry in vivo. © 2012, American Society for Microbiology.
Article
Information Content Entity
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIAID: R21AI082301