Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026

Simple and Robust in vivo and in vitro Approach for Studying Virus Assembly
Published on: March 1, 2012
Natural supramolecular building blocks. Wild-type cowpea mosaic virus
Qian Wang1, Eiton Kaltgrad, Tianwei Lin
1Department of Chemistry and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Abstract:
Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) can be isolated in gram quantities, possesses a structure that is known to atomic resolution, and is quite stable. It is therefore of potential use as a molecular entity in synthesis, particularly as a building block on the nanochemical scale. CPMV was found to possess a lysine residue with enhanced reactivity in each asymmetric unit, and thus 60 such lysines per virus particle. The identity of this residue was established by a combination of acylation, protein digestion, and mass spectrometry. Under forcing conditions, up to four lysine residues per asymmetric unit can be addressed. In combination with engineered cysteine reactivity described in the accompanying paper, this provides a powerful platform for the alteration of the chemical and physical properties of CPMV particles.
More Related Videos
08:14Analysis of the Solvent Accessibility of Cysteine Residues on Maize rayado fino virus Virus-like Particles Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana Plants and Cross-linking of Peptides to VLPs
Published on: February 14, 2013
05:56Direct Agroinoculation of Maize Seedlings by Injection with Recombinant Foxtail Mosaic Virus and Sugarcane Mosaic Virus Infectious Clones
Published on: February 27, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Viral Structure
Protein Complex Assembly
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Viruses with RNA Genomes
Subviral Agents
Inhibitors Of Virion Release
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly