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Studies on the mechanism of assembly of tobacco mosaic virus

Journal Article · · Biophys. J.; (United States)

Sedimentation and proton binding studies of the endothermic self-association of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) protein indicate that the so-called 20S sedimenting protein is an interaction system involving at least the 34-subunit two-turn cylindrical disk aggregate and the 49-subunit three-turn helical rod. The pH dependence of this overall equilibrium suggests that disk formation is proton-linked through the binding of protons to the two-turn helix which is not present at significant concentrations near pH 7. There is a temperature-induced intramolecular conformation change in the protein leading to a difference spectrum which is complete in 5 x 10/sup -6/s at pH 7 and 20/sup 0/C and is dominated at 300 nm by tryptophan residues. The probable binding frame at the internal assembly nucleation site of TMV-RNA has been determined by measuring the association constants for the binding of various trinucleoside diphosphates to helical TMV protein rods. The -CAG-AAG-AAG-sequence at the nucleation site is capable of providing at least 10 to 14 kcal/mol of sites of binding free energy for the nucleation event in TMV self-assembly.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs
OSTI ID:
6796052
Journal Information:
Biophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Biophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 32:1; ISSN BIOJA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English