Structural Capsidomics of Single-Stranded DNA Viruses.

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Structural Biology
• Molecular Evolution

Background:

• Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses exhibit a broad host range and possess compact genomes encoding multiple proteins.
• Icosahedral capsids are a common structural feature, crucial for viral assembly, genome packaging, and host interaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comparative analysis of icosahedral ssDNA virus families, focusing on capsid protein arrangement and structural diversity.
• To summarize current knowledge on ssDNA virus capsid structures and identify areas requiring further investigation.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy structural data.
• Comparative analysis of capsid protein architectures and assembly mechanisms across different ssDNA virus families.
• Integration of genomic data and predictive modeling (e.g., AlphaFold) for structural insights.

Main Results:

• Detailed capsid architectures are known for 8 of 35 ssDNA virus families, revealing variations in assembly and symmetry.
• A conserved jelly-roll motif in capsid proteins and conserved genome packaging strategies are observed, indicating evolutionary convergence.
• Predictive modeling facilitates structural insights into less-characterized ssDNA virus families.

Conclusions:

• Significant diversity exists in the arrangement of capsid proteins forming icosahedral structures in ssDNA viruses.
• Gaps remain in the structural characterization of the ssDNA capsidome, necessitating continued research.
• Understanding capsid structure and evolution is vital for virology, molecular biology, and therapeutic development.