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Publication Abstract from PubMed

Potato virus X (PVX) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) filamentous plant virus belonging to the Alphaflexiviridae family, considered in recent years as a tool for nanotechnology applications. We present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the PVX particle at a resolution of 2.2 A. The well-defined density of the coat proteins and of the genomic RNA allowed a detailed analysis of protein-RNA interactions, including those mediated by solvent molecules. The particle is formed by repeated segments made of 8.8 coat proteins, forming a left-handed helical structure. The RNA runs in an internal crevice along the virion, packaged in 5-nucleotide repeats in which the first four bases are stacked in the classical way, while the fifth is rotated and nearly perpendicular. The resolution of the structure described here suggests a mechanism for the virion assembly and potentially provides a platform for the rational design of antiviral compounds and for the use of PVX in nanotechnology.

Atomic structure of potato virus X, the prototype of the Alphaflexiviridae family.,Grinzato A, Kandiah E, Lico C, Betti C, Baschieri S, Zanotti G Nat Chem Biol. 2020 Mar 16. pii: 10.1038/s41589-020-0502-4. doi:, 10.1038/s41589-020-0502-4. PMID:32203412^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.