Engineering stress as a motivation for filamentous virus morphology

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Biophysics
• Microbiology

Background:

• Viral pleomorphism (varied shapes and sizes) is common, with implications for infectivity and survival.
• Viruses like influenza and respiratory syncytial virus exhibit diverse morphologies, from spherical to filamentous forms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physical limits of viral particle dimensions using a pressure vessel model.
• To understand the biophysical basis for filamentous virus morphology and its potential advantages.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a pressure vessel model to simulate viral stress.
• Utilizing fluorescence super-resolution microscopy and image analysis for influenza virus dimension fitting.
• Employing cryoelectron microscopy to examine virus dimensions at model extremes.

Main Results:

• Influenza virus dimensions align with the theoretical limits predicted by the pressure vessel model.
• Filamentous morphology appears to be a strategy for increasing viral volume without compromising particle integrity.
• The model explains the absence of other viral particle geometries.

Conclusions:

• Filamentous virus morphology may serve to increase viral volume and survival potential.
• The pressure vessel model provides a framework for understanding viral shape limitations.
• The findings are applicable to diverse microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi.