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Biophysics of viral infectivity: matching genome length with capsid size.

Nurmemmedov, Elmar LU ; Castelnovo, Martin ; Catalano, Carlos Enrique and Evilevitch, Alex LU orcid (2007) In Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics 40(4). p.327-356
Abstract
In this review, we discuss recent advances in biophysical virology, presenting experimental and theoretical studies on the physical properties of viruses. We focus on the double-stranded (ds) DNA bacteriophages as model systems for all of the dsDNA viruses both prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Recent studies demonstrate that the DNA packaged into a viral capsid is highly pressurized, which provides a force for the first step of passive injection of viral DNA into a bacterial cell. Moreover, specific studies on capsid strength show a strong correlation between genome length, and capsid size and robustness. The implications of these newly appreciated physical properties of a viral particle with respect to the infection process are discussed.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics
volume
40
issue
4
pages
327 - 356
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000256108100002
  • pmid:18423102
  • scopus:42449112829
ISSN
1469-8994
DOI
10.1017/S0033583508004666
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cd940af2-bf70-4100-83b3-4291de2e2b2b (old id 1147257)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:38:58
date last changed
2022-01-28 06:22:06
@article{cd940af2-bf70-4100-83b3-4291de2e2b2b,
  abstract     = {{In this review, we discuss recent advances in biophysical virology, presenting experimental and theoretical studies on the physical properties of viruses. We focus on the double-stranded (ds) DNA bacteriophages as model systems for all of the dsDNA viruses both prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Recent studies demonstrate that the DNA packaged into a viral capsid is highly pressurized, which provides a force for the first step of passive injection of viral DNA into a bacterial cell. Moreover, specific studies on capsid strength show a strong correlation between genome length, and capsid size and robustness. The implications of these newly appreciated physical properties of a viral particle with respect to the infection process are discussed.}},
  author       = {{Nurmemmedov, Elmar and Castelnovo, Martin and Catalano, Carlos Enrique and Evilevitch, Alex}},
  issn         = {{1469-8994}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{327--356}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics}},
  title        = {{Biophysics of viral infectivity: matching genome length with capsid size.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033583508004666}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0033583508004666}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}