Potato virus X (PVX) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) filamentous plant virus belonging to the Alphaflexiviridae family, considered in recent years as a tool for nanotechnology applications. We present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the PVX particle at a resolution of 2.2 angstrom. The well-defined density of the coat proteins and of the genomic RNA allowed a detailed analysis of protein-RNA interactions, including those mediated by solvent molecules. The particle is formed by repeated segments made of 8.8 coat proteins, forming a left-handed helical structure. The RNA runs in an internal crevice along the virion, packaged in 5-nucleotide repeats in which the first four bases are stacked in the classical way, while the fifth is rotated and nearly perpendicular. The resolution of the structure described here suggests a mechanism for the virion assembly and potentially provides a platform for the rational design of antiviral compounds and for the use of PVX in nanotechnology.
Atomic structure of potato virus X, the prototype of the Alphaflexviridae virus family / A. Grinzato, E. Kandiah, C. Lico, C. Betti, S. Baschieri, G. Zanotti. - In: NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY. - ISSN 1552-4450. - 16:5(2020 May), pp. 564-569. [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-020-0502-4]
Atomic structure of potato virus X, the prototype of the Alphaflexviridae virus family
C. BettiMethodology
;
2020
Abstract
Potato virus X (PVX) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) filamentous plant virus belonging to the Alphaflexiviridae family, considered in recent years as a tool for nanotechnology applications. We present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the PVX particle at a resolution of 2.2 angstrom. The well-defined density of the coat proteins and of the genomic RNA allowed a detailed analysis of protein-RNA interactions, including those mediated by solvent molecules. The particle is formed by repeated segments made of 8.8 coat proteins, forming a left-handed helical structure. The RNA runs in an internal crevice along the virion, packaged in 5-nucleotide repeats in which the first four bases are stacked in the classical way, while the fifth is rotated and nearly perpendicular. The resolution of the structure described here suggests a mechanism for the virion assembly and potentially provides a platform for the rational design of antiviral compounds and for the use of PVX in nanotechnology.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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1. Grinzato et al._Atomic structure of potato virus X_NatChemBiol_2020.pdf
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