Studies of virus structure by laser-Raman spectroscopy. Turnip yellow mosaic virus and capsids

Laser-Raman spectroscopy of the turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) and its capsid indicate the following features of the structure and assembly of the virion. The secondary structure of coat-protein molecules in TYMV is comprised of 9 +/- 5% alpha-helix, 43 +/- 6% beta-sheet, and 48 +/- 6% irregular conformation and is not altered by the removal of the RNA from the capsid. Introduction of as many as 200 chain scissions per RNA molecule also does not affect the overall secondary structure of the encapsulated RNA, which is 77 +/- 5% in the A-helix form. Tryptophan and cysteine residues of the coat protein appear to be in contact with the solvent, while only one of three tyrosines per coat protein is available for hydrogen bonding of its p-hydroxyl group with H2O molecules. Both cytosine and adenine residues of TYMV RNA are protonated in substantial numbers near pH 4.5, suggesting elevation of their respective pKa values within the virion. The Raman data are consistent with chemical evidence favoring interaction between protonated bases of RNA and amino acid side chains of coat protein in TYMV.