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Simple and Robust in vivo and in vitro Approach for Studying Virus Assembly
Published on: March 1, 2012
Virus assembly, allostery and antivirals.
Adam Zlotnick1, Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. azlotnic@indiana.edu
Trends in Microbiology
|December 18, 2010
Summary
Virus assembly, including capsid and glycoprotein formation, is regulated by allosteric conformational changes. Targeting these allosteric mechanisms with small molecules offers a promising antiviral strategy, as seen with hepatitis B virus.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Structural Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Virus assembly, including capsid and surface protein formation, requires precise regulation for infectious virion production.
- Hepatitis B virus, bacteriophage MS2, and alphaviruses serve as well-characterized models for studying viral self-assembly.
- Understanding these fundamental processes is crucial for developing antiviral therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the regulation of virus capsid assembly and glycoprotein formation.
- To explore the role of allosteric regulation in viral assembly processes.
- To highlight the potential of targeting viral assembly for antiviral drug development.
Main Methods:
- Review of published data on virus capsid assembly (Hepatitis B virus, bacteriophage MS2) and glycoprotein formation (alphaviruses).
- Analysis of structural and biochemical characteristics of these model systems.
- Examination of evidence for allosteric regulation in viral assembly.
Main Results:
- Capsid and glycoprotein assembly in viruses are subject to allosteric regulation, involving conformational changes.
- Hepatitis B virus and bacteriophage MS2 capsids, along with alphavirus glycoproteins, exemplify simple self-assembly paradigms.
- Allosteric regulation appears to be a common theme in viral assembly.
Conclusions:
- Allosteric regulation is a key mechanism controlling virus assembly.
- Targeting allosteric regulation of viral assembly with small molecules is a viable antiviral strategy.
- The effectiveness of this strategy has been demonstrated with Hepatitis B virus.
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