Viral capsid dynamics

Bothner B, Dong X-F, Bibbs L, Johnson JE, Siuzdak G (1998) Evidence of viral capsid dynamics using limited proteolysis and mass spectrometry. J Biol Chem 273 673-676... 

Keywords. Virus, Viral, Viral structure, Capsid, Dynamic, Capsid mobility, Whole virus, Intact virus, MALDI, Electrospray, Proteins, Inactivation... 

ESI and MALDI-MS are routinely used for both accurate mass information on intact proteins and their proteolytic digests. As a result these methods have already helped detect viral mutants, identify capsid proteins, and post-transla-tional modifications. Recent work has also included the detection of the first intact viral particles as well as a viral protein capsid. Other mass-based approaches like time-resolved proteolysis is giving new insight into the dynamics of viral capsid proteins in solution. This information, when combined with complementary information from X-ray crystallography studies is leading to a better understanding of viral structure and function. 

Broos K, Wei J, Marshall D, Brown F, Smith TJ, Johnson JE, Schneemann A, Siuzdak G (2001) Viral capsid mobility a dynamic conduit for inactivation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98 2274-2277... 

These studies have all shown the importance of hybrid technology. Antibodies have been used to elucidate the architecture of viruses and to identify receptor-binding regions. They have directly addressed the mechanism of antibody-mediated neutralization, which has greatly impacted the development of vaccines. Finally, they have improved our understanding about the forces that have driven the evolution of viral structure. It is likely that such studies will continue to help us understand the architecture of macro-macromolecular complexes and the dynamics of these viral capsids. 

The problem of differentiation and morphogenesis (i.e., the origin of spatial patterns in developing systems) constitutes one of the most enigmatic of all problems in biology. It involves the formation of dynamic patterns (i.e., patterns created and maintained by dissipation of energy), as opposed to patterns which may be termed static (e.g., immiscible liquids, a crystal, or a viral capsid), whose form is determined by specific affinities between each of the other components. 

Another way of examining viral dynamics is through chemical modification. Proteins within the capsid can be exposed to modifying agents. The analysis of... 

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