Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of the bacteriophage Qbeta

Crystals of bacteriophage Qbeta have been obtained by the vapor-diffusion technique. The crystals diffract to at least 3.5 A resolution. The crystal space group is C222(1) with the unit-cell parameters a = 478, b = 296, c = 477 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees. The unit cell contains four virus particles. A pattern of systematic extinctions has been used to deduce the packing of the particles in the cell. A limited data set to 3.9 A resolution has been collected, and the predicted position has been confirmed by the self-rotation and the Patterson functions.