title: Bacteriophage MS2 genomic RNA encodes an assembly instruction manual for its capsid.
abstract: Using RNA-coat protein crosslinking we have shown that the principal RNA recognition surface on the interior of infectious MS2 virions overlaps with the known peptides that bind the high affinity translational operator, TR, within the phage genome. The data also reveal the sequences of genomic fragments in contact with the coat protein shell. These show remarkable overlap with previous predictions based on the hypothesis that virion assembly is mediated by multiple sequences-specific contacts at RNA sites termed Packaging Signals (PSs). These PSs are variations on the TR stem-loop sequence and secondary structure. They act co-operatively to regulate the dominant assembly pathway and ensure cognate RNA encapsidation. In MS2, they also trigger conformational change in the dimeric capsomere creating the A/B quasi-conformer, 60 of which are needed to complete theT=3 capsid. This is the most compelling demonstration to date that this ssRNA virus, and by implications potentially very many of them, assemble via a PS-mediated assembly mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Stockley
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Mathematics & York Center for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York , York, UK.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dykeman
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Manfield
authors.affiliation: Center for Systems Biology, University of Iceland, University of Iceland Biomedical Center , Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Ottar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rolfsson
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Nikesh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Mathematics & York Center for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York , York, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wroblewski
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chandler-Bostock
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Mathematics & York Center for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York , York, UK.
authors.forename: Eva U
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Weiß
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Neil A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Ranson
authors.affiliation: Astbury Center for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Mathematics & York Center for Complex Systems Analysis, University of York , York, UK.
authors.forename: Reidun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Twarock
keywords: RNA bacteriophage; RNA packaging signals; virion assembly