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Related Experiment Videos

Irreversible growth model for virus capsid assembly.

Stephen D Hicks1, C L Henley

  • 1Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. sdh33@cornell.edu

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|October 10, 2006
PubMed
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This study models virus capsid assembly using irreversible steps and local information, generating irregular capsid structures. Capsid size and shape are influenced by elastic properties and spontaneous curvature, offering insights into retroviral capsid formation.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Computational Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Virus capsid assembly is crucial for viral replication and pathogenesis.
  • Many viruses, like retroviruses (e.g., HIV), exhibit irregular capsid structures, contrasting with well-studied icosahedral viruses.
  • Understanding the principles governing spontaneous capsid formation is key to developing antiviral strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model the spontaneous assembly of virus capsids from identical subunits.
  • To investigate the influence of elastic properties and local information on capsid formation.
  • To explore the generation of irregular capsid structures relevant to retroviruses.

Main Methods:

  • Formulation of an elastic Hamiltonian including stretching, bending stiffness, and spontaneous curvature.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Incorporation of rate constants for subunit addition and bond formation.
  • Simulation of capsid assembly using irreversible steps and local growth information.

    • Main Results:

    • Generated an ensemble of irregular capsid structures, distinct from icosahedral symmetry.
    • Observed an exponential decay in successful capsid completion probability with increasing size.
    • Determined that capsid size is strongly dependent on spontaneous curvature and weakly on elastic stiffness ratios.
    • Found that the facetedness (localization of Gaussian curvature) is highly sensitive to the ratio of bending to stretching stiffness.

    Conclusions:

    • The developed model plausibly explains the formation of irregular capsids found in retroviruses.
    • Spontaneous curvature and elastic properties are critical determinants of capsid size and morphology.
    • The findings provide a framework for understanding the biophysics of non-icosahedral viral capsid assembly.