Biomaterial Database

The tobacco mosaic virus particle: structure and assembly. 1999

A Klug

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK.

A short account is given of the physical and chemical studies that have led to an understanding of the structure of the tobacco mosaic virus particle and how it is assembled from its constituent coat protein and RNA. The assembly is a much more complex process than might have been expected from the simplicity of the helical design of the particle. The protein forms an obligatory intermediate (a cylindrical disk composed of two layers of protein units), which recognizes a specific RNA hairpin sequence. This extraordinary mechanism simultaneously fulfils the physical requirement for nucleating the growth of the helical particle and the biological requirement for specific recognition of the viral DNA.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008958	Models, Molecular	Models used experimentally or theoretically to study molecular shape, electronic properties, or interactions; includes analogous molecules, computer-generated graphics, and mechanical structures.	Molecular Models,Model, Molecular,Molecular Model
D010947	Plants, Toxic	Plants or plant parts which are harmful to man or other animals.	Plants, Poisonous,Plant, Poisonous,Plant, Toxic,Poisonous Plant,Poisonous Plants,Toxic Plant,Toxic Plants
D012367	RNA, Viral	Ribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of viruses.	Viral RNA
D014026	Nicotiana	A plant genus of the family SOLANACEAE. Members contain NICOTINE and other biologically active chemicals; the dried leaves of Nicotiana tabacum are used for SMOKING.	Tobacco Plant,Nicotiana tabacum,Plant, Tobacco,Plants, Tobacco,Tobacco Plants
D014027	Tobacco Mosaic Virus	The type species of TOBAMOVIRUS which causes mosaic disease of NICOTIANA. Transmission occurs by mechanical inoculation.	Mosaic Virus, Tobacco,Mosaic Viruses, Tobacco,Tobacco Mosaic Viruses,Virus, Tobacco Mosaic,Viruses, Tobacco Mosaic
D014771	Virion	The infective system of a virus, composed of the viral genome, a protein core, and a protein coat called a capsid, which may be naked or enclosed in a lipoprotein envelope called the peplos.	Virus Particle,Viral Particle,Viral Particles,Particle, Viral,Particle, Virus,Particles, Viral,Particles, Virus,Virions,Virus Particles
D018360	Crystallography, X-Ray	The study of crystal structure using X-RAY DIFFRACTION techniques. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	X-Ray Crystallography,Crystallography, X Ray,Crystallography, Xray,X Ray Crystallography,Xray Crystallography,Crystallographies, X Ray,X Ray Crystallographies
D019065	Virus Assembly	The assembly of VIRAL STRUCTURAL PROTEINS and nucleic acid (VIRAL DNA or VIRAL RNA) to form a VIRUS PARTICLE.	Viral Assembly,Assembly, Viral,Assembly, Virus