Download MendeleyAtomic structure of potato virus X, the prototype of the Alphaflexiviridae family.
Grinzato, A., Kandiah, E., Lico, C., Betti, C., Baschieri, S., Zanotti, G.(2020) Nat Chem Biol 16: 564-569
- PubMed: 32203412 Search on PubMedSearch on PubMed Central
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-020-0502-4
- Primary Citation Related Structures:
6R7G - PubMed Abstract:
Potato virus X (PVX) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) filamentous plant virus belonging to the Alphaflexiviridae family, considered in recent years as a tool for nanotechnology applications. We present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the PVX particle at a resolution of 2.2 Å. The well-defined density of the coat proteins and of the genomic RNA allowed a detailed analysis of protein-RNA interactions, including those mediated by solvent molecules. The particle is formed by repeated segments made of 8.8 coat proteins, forming a left-handed helical structure. The RNA runs in an internal crevice along the virion, packaged in 5-nucleotide repeats in which the first four bases are stacked in the classical way, while the fifth is rotated and nearly perpendicular. The resolution of the structure described here suggests a mechanism for the virion assembly and potentially provides a platform for the rational design of antiviral compounds and for the use of PVX in nanotechnology.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
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