Nucleic and Amino Acid Sequences Support Structure-Based Viral Classification.

ABSTRACT: Viral capsids ensure viral genome integrity by protecting the enclosed nucleic acids. Interactions between the genome and capsid and between individual capsid proteins (i.e., capsid architecture) are intimate and are expected to be characterized by strong evolutionary conservation. For this reason, a capsid structure-based viral classification has been proposed as a way to bring order to the viral universe. The seeming lack of sufficient sequence similarity to reproduce this classification has made it difficult to reject structural convergence as the basis for the classification. We reinvestigate whether the structure-based classification for viral coat proteins making icosahedral virus capsids is in fact supported by previously undetected sequence similarity. Since codon choices can influ

SUBMITTER: Sinclair RM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5375668 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature