Icosahedral packing of RNA viral genomes.
Many spherelike RNA viruses package a portion of their genome in a manner that mirrors the icosahedral symmetry of the protein container, or capsid. Graph-theoretical constraints forbid exact realization of icosahedral symmetry. This paper explores the consequences of graph-theoretical constraints on quasi-icosahedral genome structures. A key result is the prediction that the genome organization is a Hamiltonian path or cycle and that the associated assembly scenario of such single-stranded spherelike RNA viruses resembles that of cylindrical RNA viruses, such as tobacco mosaic viruses.
Rudnick
Joseph
J
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles, Box 951547, Los Angeles, California 90095-1547, USA.
Bruinsma
Robijn
R
D002213:Capsid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016679:Genome, Viral; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012367:RNA, Viral