 |
Journal articles
Virology. A virus that infects a hyperthermophile encapsidates A-form DNA
Abstract : Extremophiles, microorganisms thriving in extreme environmental conditions, must have proteins and nucleic acids that are stable at extremes of temperature and pH. The nonenveloped, rod-shaped virus SIRV2 (Sulfolobus islandicus rod-shaped virus 2) infects the hyperthermophilic acidophile Sulfolobus islandicus, which lives at 80°C and pH 3. We have used cryo-electron microscopy to generate a three-dimensional reconstruction of the SIRV2 virion at ~4 angstrom resolution, which revealed a previously unknown form of virion organization. Although almost half of the capsid protein is unstructured in solution, this unstructured region folds in the virion into a single extended α helix that wraps around the DNA. The DNA is entirely in the A-form, which suggests a common mechanism with bacterial spores for protecting DNA in the most adverse environments.
https://hal-pasteur.archives-ouvertes.fr/pasteur-01977386
Contributor : Floran Bidault <>
Submitted on : Thursday, January 10, 2019 - 4:55:31 PM
Last modification on : Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 2:14:16 PM
Contributor : Floran Bidault <>
Submitted on : Thursday, January 10, 2019 - 4:55:31 PM
Last modification on : Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 2:14:16 PM
Links full text
