Download MendeleyCapsid expansion of bacteriophage T5 revealed by high resolution cryoelectron microscopy.
Huet, A., Duda, R.L., Boulanger, P., Conway, J.F.(2019) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 116: 21037-21046
- PubMed: 31578255
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1909645116
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
6OKB, 6OMA, 6OMC - PubMed Abstract:
The large (90-nm) icosahedral capsid of bacteriophage T5 is composed of 775 copies of the major capsid protein (mcp) together with portal, protease, and decoration proteins. Its assembly is a regulated process that involves several intermediates, including a thick-walled round precursor prohead that expands as the viral DNA is packaged to yield a thin-walled and angular mature capsid. We investigated capsid maturation by comparing cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the prohead, the empty expanded capsid both with and without decoration protein, and the virion capsid at a resolution of 3.8 Å for the latter. We detail the molecular structure of the mcp, its complex pattern of interactions, and their evolution during maturation. The bacteriophage T5 mcp is a variant of the canonical HK97-fold with a high level of plasticity that allows for the precise assembly of a giant macromolecule and the adaptability needed to interact with other proteins and the packaged DNA.
Organizational Affiliation:
Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260.
