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DNA bending-induced phase transition of encapsidated genome in phage λ

Lander, Gabriel C ; Johnson, John E ; Rau, Donald C ; Potter, Clinton S ; Carragher, Bridget and Evilevitch, Alex LU orcid (2013) In Nucleic Acids Research 41(8). p.4518-4518
Abstract
The DNA structure in phage capsids is determined by DNA-DNA interactions and bending energy. The effects of repulsive interactions on DNA interaxial distance were previously investigated, but not the effect of DNA bending on its structure in viral capsids. By varying packaged DNA length and through addition of spermine ions, we transform the interaction energy from net repulsive to net attractive. This allowed us to isolate the effect of bending on the resulting DNA structure. We used single particle cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction analysis to determine the interstrand spacing of double-stranded DNA encapsidated in phage λ capsids. The data reveal that stress and packing defects, both resulting from DNA bending in the capsid, are... (More)
The DNA structure in phage capsids is determined by DNA-DNA interactions and bending energy. The effects of repulsive interactions on DNA interaxial distance were previously investigated, but not the effect of DNA bending on its structure in viral capsids. By varying packaged DNA length and through addition of spermine ions, we transform the interaction energy from net repulsive to net attractive. This allowed us to isolate the effect of bending on the resulting DNA structure. We used single particle cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction analysis to determine the interstrand spacing of double-stranded DNA encapsidated in phage λ capsids. The data reveal that stress and packing defects, both resulting from DNA bending in the capsid, are able to induce a long-range phase transition in the encapsidated DNA genome from a hexagonal to a cholesteric packing structure. This structural observation suggests significant changes in genome fluidity as a result of a phase transition affecting the rates of viral DNA ejection and packaging. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nucleic Acids Research
volume
41
issue
8
pages
4518 - 4518
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000318569700001
  • pmid:23449219
  • scopus:84877302870
  • pmid:23449219
ISSN
1362-4962
DOI
10.1093/nar/gkt137
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6eac608e-1267-4c95-abe2-5b3212453ae4 (old id 3628733)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:30:29
date last changed
2022-01-25 23:54:16
@article{6eac608e-1267-4c95-abe2-5b3212453ae4,
  abstract     = {{The DNA structure in phage capsids is determined by DNA-DNA interactions and bending energy. The effects of repulsive interactions on DNA interaxial distance were previously investigated, but not the effect of DNA bending on its structure in viral capsids. By varying packaged DNA length and through addition of spermine ions, we transform the interaction energy from net repulsive to net attractive. This allowed us to isolate the effect of bending on the resulting DNA structure. We used single particle cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction analysis to determine the interstrand spacing of double-stranded DNA encapsidated in phage λ capsids. The data reveal that stress and packing defects, both resulting from DNA bending in the capsid, are able to induce a long-range phase transition in the encapsidated DNA genome from a hexagonal to a cholesteric packing structure. This structural observation suggests significant changes in genome fluidity as a result of a phase transition affecting the rates of viral DNA ejection and packaging.}},
  author       = {{Lander, Gabriel C and Johnson, John E and Rau, Donald C and Potter, Clinton S and Carragher, Bridget and Evilevitch, Alex}},
  issn         = {{1362-4962}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{4518--4518}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Nucleic Acids Research}},
  title        = {{DNA bending-induced phase transition of encapsidated genome in phage λ}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkt137}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/nar/gkt137}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}