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Updated: May 16, 2025

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Published on: July 27, 2021
Structure of the turnip yellows virus particles
Joséphine Lai-Kee-Him1, Stefano Trapani1, Sylvaine Boissinot2
1Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Univ Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.
Turnip yellows virus (TuYV) capsid structure was investigated. The minor capsid protein RTP* is randomly incorporated without affecting overall structure, which is crucial for understanding virus transmission.
Area of Science:
- Plant virology
- Structural biology
- Molecular mechanisms of virus transmission
Background:
- Turnip yellows virus (TuYV) infects vital crops like oilseed rape.
- TuYV is phloem-limited and transmitted by aphids.
- The viral capsid comprises major capsid protein (CP) and a minor component (RTP*) derived from readthrough product (RTP).
Purpose of the Study:
- To structurally characterize wild-type TuYV and a CP-only mutant.
- To understand the incorporation mechanism of RTP* into the TuYV capsid.
- To elucidate the role of RTP* in virus transmission.
Main Methods:
- Immunogold labeling
- 3D cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM)
- Structural characterization of wild-type and mutant TuYV capsids
Main Results:
- RTP* incorporation does not disrupt the overall capsid structure.
- The N-terminal structured domain (NRTD) of RTP* lacks defined positions on the capsid surface.
- The quantity of incorporated RTP* suggests a random insertion mechanism.
Conclusions:
- RTP* is randomly incorporated into the TuYV capsid.
- The NRTD domain's positioning does not appear to be a major factor in capsid stability.
- Understanding RTP* incorporation is key to deciphering TuYV aphid transmission.
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