Cryphonectria nitschkei virus 1 structure shows that the capsid protein of chrysoviruses is a duplicated helix-rich fold conserved in fungal double-stranded RNA viruses.

ABSTRACT: Cryoelectron microscopy reconstruction of Cryphonectria nitschkei virus 1, a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus, shows that the capsid protein (60 copies/particle) is formed by a repeated helical core, indicative of gene duplication. This unusual organization is common to chrysoviruses. The arrangement of many of these putative α-helices is conserved in the totivirus L-A capsid protein, suggesting a shared motif. Our results indicate that a 120-subunit T=1 capsid is a conserved architecture that optimizes dsRNA replication and organization.

SUBMITTER: Gomez-Blanco J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3421698 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature