Download MendeleyStructure and assembly pattern of a freshwater short-tailed cyanophage Pam1.
Zhang, J.T., Yang, F., Du, K., Li, W.F., Chen, Y., Jiang, Y.L., Li, Q., Zhou, C.Z.(2022) Structure 30: 240-251.e4
- PubMed: 34727518
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.str.2021.10.004
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
7EEA, 7EEL, 7EEP, 7EEQ - PubMed Abstract:
Despite previous structural analyses of bacteriophages, quite little is known about the structures and assembly patterns of cyanophages. Using cryo-EM combined with crystallography, we solve the near-atomic-resolution structure of a freshwater short-tailed cyanophage, Pam1, which comprises a 400-Å-long tail and an icosahedral capsid of 650 Å in diameter. The outer capsid surface is reinforced by trimeric cement proteins with a β-sandwich fold, which structurally resemble the distal motif of Pam1's tailspike, suggesting its potential role in host recognition. At the portal vertex, the dodecameric portal and connected adaptor, followed by a hexameric needle head, form a DNA ejection channel, which is sealed by a trimeric needle. Moreover, we identify a right-handed rifling pattern that might help DNA to revolve along the wall of the ejection channel. Our study reveals the precise assembly pattern of a cyanophage and lays the foundation to support its practical biotechnological and environmental applications.
Organizational Affiliation:
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
