title: Structure of faustovirus, a large dsDNA virus.
abstract: Many viruses protect their genome with a combination of a protein shell with or without a membrane layer. Here we describe the structure of faustovirus, the first DNA virus (to our knowledge) that has been found to use two protein shells to encapsidate and protect its genome. The crystal structure of the major capsid protein, in combination with cryo-electron microscopy structures of two different maturation stages of the virus, shows that the outer virus shell is composed of a double jelly-roll protein that can be found in many double-stranded DNA viruses. The structure of the repeating hexameric unit of the inner shell is different from all other known capsid proteins. In addition to the unique architecture, the region of the genome that encodes the major capsid protein stretches over 17,000 bp and contains a large number of introns and exons. This complexity might help the virus to rapidly adapt to new environments or hosts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907;
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klose
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 63, CNRS 7278, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France;
authors.forename: Dorine G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Reteno
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 63, CNRS 7278, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France;
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benamar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hollerbach
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 63, CNRS 7278, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France;
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 63, CNRS 7278, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France;
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: La Scola
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907; mr@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rossmann
mesh_terms: D025701:Asfarviridae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008958:Models, Molecular; D014771:Virion / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: double-protein shell; faustovirus; major capsid protein; structure