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Bacteriophage MS2 displays unreported capsid variability assembling T = 4 and mixed capsids
Author(s) -
Martín Garrido Natàlia,
Crone Michael A.,
Ramlaul Kailash,
Simpson Paul A.,
Freemont Paul S.,
Aylett Christopher H. S.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/mmi.14406
Subject(s) - capsid , bacteriophage , biology , bacteriophage ms2 , genome , rna , recombinant dna , icosahedral symmetry , escherichia coli , virology , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , virus , crystallography , gene , chemistry
Summary Bacteriophage MS2 is a positive‐sense, single‐stranded RNA virus encapsulated in an asymmetric T = 3 pseudo‐icosahedral capsid. It infects Escherichia coli through the F‐pilus, in which it binds through a maturation protein incorporated into its capsid. Cryogenic electron microscopy has previously shown that its genome is highly ordered within virions, and that it regulates the assembly process of the capsid. In this study, we have assembled recombinant MS2 capsids with non‐genomic RNA containing the capsid incorporation sequence, and investigated the structures formed, revealing that T = 3, T = 4 and mixed capsids between these two triangulation numbers are generated, and resolving structures of T = 3 and T = 4 capsids to 4 Å and 6 Å respectively. We conclude that the basic MS2 capsid can form a mix of T = 3 and T = 4 structures, supporting a role for the ordered genome in favouring the formation of functional T = 3 virions.