Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study virus structure.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Structural Biology
• Virology

Background:

• Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a spectroscopic method utilizing radiofrequency absorption by atomic nuclei in a magnetic field.
• NMR has been applied to study viral protein structures, including capsid subunits, using a "bottom-up" approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the utility of NMR in elucidating viral protein and nucleic acid structures and dynamics.
• To showcase NMR's capability in characterizing natively unfolded viral proteins.
• To demonstrate NMR's complementary role with other structural biology techniques.

Main Methods:

• Application of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
• Integration of liquid-state and solid-state NMR.
• Combination with X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy.

Main Results:

• NMR has detailed conformational changes in viral proteins and nucleic acids, revealing important dynamic equilibria.
• The technique provides atomic-level insights into the conformational preferences of natively unfolded viral proteins.
• Combined NMR approaches have yielded pseudo-atomic models of virus capsids and identified conformational changes in intact capsids during membrane insertion.

Conclusions:

• NMR is a versatile tool for structural and dynamic studies of viral components.
• NMR provides unique insights into viral protein dynamics and conformational states.
• The integration of NMR with other methods enhances the understanding of viral structures and functions.