Viral nanomotors for packaging of dsDNA and dsRNA

While capsid proteins are assembled around single-stranded genomic DNA or RNA in rod-shaped viruses, the lengthy double-stranded genome of other viruses is packaged forcefully within a preformed protein shell. This entropically unfavourable DNA or RNA packaging is accomplished by an ATP-driven viral...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular microbiology 2007-05, Vol.64 (4), p.886-903
Main Authors: Guo, Peixuan, Lee, Tae Jin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA - metabolism
DNA, Viral - metabolism
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genomics
Microbiology
MicroReview
Models, Molecular
Molecular biology
Molecular Motor Proteins
Nanotechnology
Proteins
Ribonucleic acid
RNA
RNA, Double-Stranded - metabolism
RNA, Viral - metabolism
Viral Proteins
Virology
Virus Assembly - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:While capsid proteins are assembled around single-stranded genomic DNA or RNA in rod-shaped viruses, the lengthy double-stranded genome of other viruses is packaged forcefully within a preformed protein shell. This entropically unfavourable DNA or RNA packaging is accomplished by an ATP-driven viral nanomotor, which is mainly composed of two components, the oligomerized channel and the packaging enzymes. This intriguing DNA or RNA packaging process has provoked interest among virologists, bacteriologists, biochemists, biophysicists, chemists, structural biologists and computational scientists alike, especially those interested in nanotechnology, nanomedicine, AAA+ family proteins, energy conversion, cell membrane transport, DNA or RNA replication and antiviral therapy. This review mainly focuses on the motors of double-stranded DNA viruses, but double-stranded RNA viral motors are also discussed due to interesting similarities. The novel and ingenious configuration of these nanomotors has inspired the development of biomimetics for nanodevices. Advances in structural and functional studies have increased our understanding of the molecular basis of biological movement to the point where we can begin thinking about possible applications of the viral DNA packaging motor in nanotechnology and medical applications.
ISSN:0950-382X
1365-2958
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.05706.x