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Viral capsids: Mechanical characteristics, genome packaging and delivery mechanisms

Roos, W. H. ; Ivanovska, I. L. ; Evilevitch, Alex LU orcid and Wuite, G. J. L. (2007) In Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 64(12). p.1484-1497
Abstract
The main functions of viral capsids are to protect, transport and deliver their genome. The mechanical properties of capsids are supposed to be adapted to these tasks. Bacteriophage capsids also need to withstand the high pressures the DNA is exerting onto it as a result of the DNA packaging and its consequent confinement within the capsid. It is proposed that this pressure helps driving the genome into the host, but other mechanisms also seem to play an important role in ejection. DNA packaging and ejection strategies are obviously dependent on the mechanical properties of the capsid. This review focuses on the mechanical properties of viral capsids in general and the elucidation of the biophysical aspects of genome packaging mechanisms... (More)
The main functions of viral capsids are to protect, transport and deliver their genome. The mechanical properties of capsids are supposed to be adapted to these tasks. Bacteriophage capsids also need to withstand the high pressures the DNA is exerting onto it as a result of the DNA packaging and its consequent confinement within the capsid. It is proposed that this pressure helps driving the genome into the host, but other mechanisms also seem to play an important role in ejection. DNA packaging and ejection strategies are obviously dependent on the mechanical properties of the capsid. This review focuses on the mechanical properties of viral capsids in general and the elucidation of the biophysical aspects of genome packaging mechanisms and genome delivery processes of double-stranded DNA bacteriophages in particular. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biophysics, optical tweezers, atomic force microscopy, osmotic pressure, genome delivery, capsid mechanics, genome packaging
in
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences
volume
64
issue
12
pages
1484 - 1497
publisher
Birkhäuser Verlag
external identifiers
  • wos:000247272100005
  • scopus:34250734534
ISSN
1420-9071
DOI
10.1007/s00018-007-6451-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
201e399a-602b-49d8-9c65-b8cd47cb9997 (old id 648569)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:55:28
date last changed
2022-03-30 03:52:02
@article{201e399a-602b-49d8-9c65-b8cd47cb9997,
  abstract     = {{The main functions of viral capsids are to protect, transport and deliver their genome. The mechanical properties of capsids are supposed to be adapted to these tasks. Bacteriophage capsids also need to withstand the high pressures the DNA is exerting onto it as a result of the DNA packaging and its consequent confinement within the capsid. It is proposed that this pressure helps driving the genome into the host, but other mechanisms also seem to play an important role in ejection. DNA packaging and ejection strategies are obviously dependent on the mechanical properties of the capsid. This review focuses on the mechanical properties of viral capsids in general and the elucidation of the biophysical aspects of genome packaging mechanisms and genome delivery processes of double-stranded DNA bacteriophages in particular.}},
  author       = {{Roos, W. H. and Ivanovska, I. L. and Evilevitch, Alex and Wuite, G. J. L.}},
  issn         = {{1420-9071}},
  keywords     = {{biophysics; optical tweezers; atomic force microscopy; osmotic pressure; genome delivery; capsid mechanics; genome packaging}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1484--1497}},
  publisher    = {{Birkhäuser Verlag}},
  series       = {{Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences}},
  title        = {{Viral capsids: Mechanical characteristics, genome packaging and delivery mechanisms}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00018-007-6451-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00018-007-6451-1}},
  volume       = {{64}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}