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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
09:08
Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Published on: July 27, 2021
Nonequilibirum assembly, retroviruses, and conical structures
Artem Levandovsky1, Roya Zandi
1Department of Physics, University of California, Riverside California 92521, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|June 13, 2009
Summary
This study explores how viral shells assemble spontaneously under nonequilibrium conditions. The research predicts retroviral structure formation based on protein subunit curvature, revealing a unified phase diagram.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Structural Biology
- Virology
Background:
- Viral shell formation is crucial for retroviruses.
- Understanding the self-assembly of viral capsids is key to virology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spontaneous assembly of viral shells under nonequilibrium conditions.
- To develop a minimal model predicting retroviral structure formation.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a basic continuum elasticity framework.
- Analyzing the influence of protein subunit spontaneous curvature.
Main Results:
- The nonequilibrium assembly process predicts structures relevant to retroviruses.
- A unified one-dimensional phase diagram illustrates assembly outcomes.
- Spherical, irregular, conical, and cylindrical structures are governed by subunit curvature.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous curvature of protein subunits is a key factor in determining retroviral shell morphology.
- The minimal model provides insights into the principles of viral self-assembly.
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