The adenovirus capsid: major progress in minor proteins.
Human adenoviruses have been the subject of intensive investigation since their discovery in the early 1950s: they have served as model pathogens, as probes for studying cellular processes and, more recently, as efficient gene-delivery vehicles for experimental gene therapy. As a result, a detailed insight into many aspects of adenovirus biology is now available. The capsid proteins and in particular the hexon, penton-base and fibre proteins (the so-called major capsid proteins) have been studied extensively and their structure and function in the virus capsid are now well-defined. On the other hand, the minor proteins in the viral capsid, i.e. proteins IIIa, VI, VIII and IX, have received much less attention. Only the last few years have witnessed a sharp increase in the number of studies on their structure and function. Here, a review of the minor capsid proteins is provided, with a focus on new insights into their position and role in the capsid and the opportunities that they provide for improving human adenovirus-derived gene-delivery vectors.
Vellinga
Jort
J
Virus Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Wassenaarseweg 72, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands.
Van der Heijdt
Stephanie
S
Virus Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Wassenaarseweg 72, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands.
Hoeben
Rob C
RC
Virus Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Wassenaarseweg 72, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands.
D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D002213:Capsid / Q000737:chemistry; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D008970:Molecular Weight; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C018315:hexon capsid protein, Adenovirus; C090876:polypeptide VI, adenovirus; C052227:protein IIIa, Human adenovirus type 2