A prediction of the structure of tobacco-mosaic-virus protein

The location of amino acid residues within the tobacco mosaic virus protein subunit is discussed. Sequence data, X-ray crystallographic measurements, and the availability of specific residues for enzymic, immunological or chemical reaction are amongst the information used to trace roughly how the tobacco mosaic virus polypeptide chain winds in and out from the virus axis. Published rules for predicting secondary structure are then applied to obtain a diagram of the course of the polypeptide chain. This map should be useful for the interpretation of X-ray diffraction data and already permits an outline of the main features of the inner third of subunit to be suggested.