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Related Concept Videos

Protein Organization01:24

Protein Organization

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Proteins are polymers of amino acid residues. They are versatile and responsible for different cellular functions, including DNA replication, molecular transport, catalysis, and structural support. Proteins have a hierarchical structure comprising at least three levels of organization: primary, secondary, and tertiary structure. Some large proteins have a quaternary structure where individual protein subunits are linked together.
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Protein Complex Assembly02:41

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Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types.  Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
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Viral Structure00:56

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Viruses are extraordinarily diverse in shape and size, but they all have several structural features in common. All viruses have a core that contains a DNA- or RNA-based genome. The core is surrounded by a protective coat of proteins called the capsid. The capsid is composed of subunits called capsomeres. The capsid and genome-containing core are together known as the nucleocapsid.
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Size and Structure of Viral Genomes01:26

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Viral genomes exhibit remarkable diversity in size, structure, and composition, influencing their replication strategies and interactions with host cells. These genomes consist of either DNA or RNA and may be linear or circular. Additionally, they can be single-stranded or double-stranded, with each configuration affecting how the virus propagates within a host. RNA viruses, for instance, generally have smaller genomes than DNA viruses, a factor that contributes to their high mutation rates and...
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Globular and Fibrous Proteins02:21

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Many proteins can be classified into two distinct subtypes - globular or fibrous. These two types differ in their shapes and solubilities.
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Icosahedral virus structures and the protein data bank.

John E Johnson1, Arthur J Olson1

  • 1Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.

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Structural studies of icosahedral viruses reveal conserved protein folds and symmetry principles. The Protein Data Bank and advanced imaging techniques have been crucial for understanding viral complexity and evolution.

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structural modelstructure–functionvirologyvirus assemblyvirus structure

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Area of Science:

  • Structural virology
  • Molecular biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Icosahedral virus structural studies have a rich history, advancing crystallographic methods and molecular biology.
  • The Protein Data Bank (PDB) has been instrumental in archiving and disseminating viral structure data.
  • Early studies focused on small RNA viruses and picornaviruses, progressing to larger, complex viruses like bacteriophages and human pathogens.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of the evolution of icosahedral virus structural studies.
  • To highlight key methodological advancements driven by viral symmetry.
  • To discuss the role of structural data in understanding viral diversity and evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Protein Data Bank archives.
  • Review of crystallographic and cryo-electron microscopy techniques.
  • Examination of viral capsid protein domain folds and symmetry principles.

Main Results:

  • Identified conserved structural motifs like the beta jelly roll across diverse icosahedral viruses.
  • Demonstrated how icosahedral symmetry spurred the development of noncrystallographic symmetry averaging and quasi-equivalence.
  • Highlighted the complementary roles of X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy in atomic resolution structure determination.

Conclusions:

  • The study of icosahedral viruses has significantly contributed to structural biology and methodology.
  • Conserved structural features and symmetry principles are fundamental to viral architecture.
  • Resources like the PDB and tools like VIPER are vital for advancing viral structural research.