Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Viral Structure00:56

Viral Structure

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.
Introduction to Virus01:28

Introduction to Virus

Viruses are unique biological entities that blur the boundary between living and non-living systems. Although they lack cellular structure and metabolic processes, they can exhibit characteristics of life when infecting a host. Their defining feature is a nucleic acid core, composed of either DNA or RNA, encapsulated within a protein coat called a capsid. This simple structure allows them to invade host cells and use their machinery for replication efficiently.Viral Structure and...
The Nucleosome Core Particle01:12

The Nucleosome Core Particle

Nucleosomes are the DNA-histone complex, where the DNA strand is wound around the histone core. The histone core is an octamer containing two copies of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 histone proteins.
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their primary aim is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. On the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access histone-bound DNA during...
The Nucleosome Core Particle02:10

The Nucleosome Core Particle

Nucleosomes are the DNA-histone complex, where the DNA strand is wound around the histone core. The histone core is an octamer containing two copies of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 histone proteins.
The paradox
Nucleosomes, paradoxically, perform two opposite functions simultaneously. On the one hand, their main responsibility is to protect the delicate DNA strands from physical damage and help achieve a higher compaction ratio. While on the other hand, they must allow polymerase enzymes to access DNA...
Coronavirus01:29

Coronavirus

Coronaviruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), are enveloped viruses characterized by their single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome and helical nucleocapsid structure. The hallmark of these viruses is their club-shaped spike (S) glycoproteins that protrude from the viral envelope, facilitating attachment to host cells. Typically, coronaviruses infect the upper respiratory tract, often causing mild or asymptomatic disease. However, certain strains like...
Subviral Agents01:29

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Artificial initiation codons and engineered initiator tRNAs enable N-terminal noncanonical amino acid incorporation in intact cell-free translation systems.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Structural studies of an antinecroptosis viral:human functional heteroamyloid M45:RIPK3 using SSNMR.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

<i>In Vitro</i> Evolution of the Adenosine A<sub>2A</sub> Receptor Based on an Antagonist Binding Using a Ribosome Display.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Cargo-Directed Assembly of Nonviral Nucleocapsid with Controlled Size.

ACS synthetic biology·2026
Same author

Distinct TAF15 amyloid filament folds define multiple subtypes of FTLD-TAF15.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

A Nonviral Neo-Nucleocapsid for Cell-Specific RNA Delivery Developed by Pseudo-Cyclic Peptide Grafting and Directed Evolution.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2025
Same journal

Tau protein as a regulator of mitochondrial function and dynamics.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

A scalable, dividing cell model for the robust propagation and quantification of human sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prions.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Epigenetic regulation of mesenchymal BMP signaling directs postnatal organ innervation.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Single-shot wide-field biochemical imaging at 1 kHz frame rate.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Morphogenesis and topological evolution of a frustrated nematic liquid crystal under confinement.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

B cell-intrinsic CXCR3 drives efficient generation of ectopic pulmonary germinal center responses to influenza A virus infection.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
09:08

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Published on: July 27, 2021

An engineered closed-shell, two-component, 480-subunit nucleocapsid.

Mikail D Levasseur1, Naohiro Terasaka1, Angela Steinauer1

  • 1Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|May 27, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers engineered a novel 480-subunit protein cage by splitting the NC-4 nucleocapsid. This split NC-4 (spNC-4) enables versatile surface functionalization for advanced biotechnology and medical applications.

Keywords:
cryo-EMnucleocapsidprotein cageprotein engineeringsolid-state NMR

More Related Videos

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods
09:12

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods

Published on: May 11, 2018

Utilizing the Antigen Capsid-Incorporation Strategy for the Development of Adenovirus Serotype 5-Vectored Vaccine Approaches
13:36

Utilizing the Antigen Capsid-Incorporation Strategy for the Development of Adenovirus Serotype 5-Vectored Vaccine Approaches

Published on: May 6, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
09:08

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Published on: July 27, 2021

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods
09:12

Surface Functionalization of Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticles Using Chemical Conjugation Methods

Published on: May 11, 2018

Utilizing the Antigen Capsid-Incorporation Strategy for the Development of Adenovirus Serotype 5-Vectored Vaccine Approaches
13:36

Utilizing the Antigen Capsid-Incorporation Strategy for the Development of Adenovirus Serotype 5-Vectored Vaccine Approaches

Published on: May 6, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Nanotechnology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Self-assembling protein cages serve as crucial nanoscale containers.
  • Two-component systems offer enhanced functional complexity for protein cages.
  • The nucleocapsid NC-4 is a 240-subunit cage evolved for mRNA packaging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To split the NC-4 nucleocapsid into a two-component system.
  • To create a larger, 480-subunit capsid with functionalizable exterior termini.
  • To demonstrate the utility of spNC-4 for site-specific modifications.

Main Methods:

  • Genetically splitting the 240-subunit NC-4 into two fragments.
  • Assembling the split fragments into a 480-subunit spNC-4 capsid.
  • Appending peptide and protein tags to the spNC-4 exterior surface.
  • Utilizing posttranslational modifications for glycosylation and antibody recruitment.

Main Results:

  • Successful assembly of a stable 480-subunit split NC-4 (spNC-4) capsid.
  • Demonstrated functionalization of the spNC-4 exterior with peptide and protein tags.
  • Enabled site-specific glycosylation and antibody-mediated cell targeting.
  • Preserved cage structure and assembly after splitting.

Conclusions:

  • Splitting the NC-4 nucleocapsid expands its utility as a nanoscale container.
  • The spNC-4 platform facilitates customizable surface modification for diverse applications.
  • This approach provides a robust platform for simultaneous encapsulation and surface functionalization in biotechnology.