Visualization of Single Molecules Building a Viral Capsid Protein Lattice through Stochastic Pathways.

ABSTRACT: Direct visualization of pathways followed by single molecules while they spontaneously self-assemble into supramolecular biological machines may provide fundamental knowledge to guide molecular therapeutics and the bottom-up design of nanomaterials and nanodevices. Here, high-speed atomic force microscopy is used to visualize self-assembly of the bidimensional lattice of protein molecules that constitutes the framework of the mature human immunodeficiency virus capsid. By real-time imaging of the assembly reaction, individual transient intermediates and reaction pathways followed by single molecules could be revealed. As when assembling a jigsaw puzzle, the capsid protein lattice is randomly built. Lattice patches grow independently from separate nucleation events whereby individual molecu

SUBMITTER: Valbuena A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7392527 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature