Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Published on: July 27, 2021
Density-wave theory of the capsid structure of small icosahedral viruses
1Laboratoire de Physique Theorique et Astroparticules, CNRS-Universite Montpellier 2, Place Eugene Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France.
Abstract:
We apply Landau theory of crystallization to explain and to classify the capsid structures of small viruses with spherical topology and icosahedral symmetry. We develop an explicit method which predicts the positions of centers of mass for the proteins constituting the viral capsid shell. Corresponding density distribution function which generates the positions has a universal form without any fitting parameter. The theory describes in a uniform way both the structures satisfying the well-known Caspar and Klug geometrical model for capsid construction and those violating it.
Related Concept Videos
Viral Structure
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
Introduction to Virus
What are Viruses?
Viruses with RNA Genomes
Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria

