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Updated: Aug 3, 2026

Simple and Robust in vivo and in vitro Approach for Studying Virus Assembly
Published on: March 1, 2012
Mixed-subunit capsids can be assembled in vitro with coat protein subunits from two cucumoviruses
B Chen1, J W Randles, R I Francki
1Department of Crop Protection, Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, South Australia. chenb@raid0.dnet.roche.com
Abstract:
Virus particles were reassembled in vitro from tomato aspermy virus strain V (V-TAV) RNA and a mixture of subunits prepared from V-TAV and 35S-labelled cucumber mosaic virus strain T (T-CMV). Immunodiffusion tests showed that the reassembled particles reacted with polyclonal antisera raised against both V-TAV and T-CMV. Radioactivity was found in the precipitin line formed between the reassembled particles and antiserum raised against T-CMV as well as in the precipitin line formed between the reassembled particles and antiserum raised against V-TAV. This shows that 35S-labelled T-CMV protein subunits were incorporated with V-TAV protein subunits into the same particles. Thus, coat proteins of V-TAV and T-CMV can co-assemble and form mixed-subunit capsids in vitro.
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