1. Structural changes of tailless bacteriophage ΦX174 during penetration of bacterial cell walls.
- Author
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Sun Y, Roznowski AP, Tokuda JM, Klose T, Mauney A, Pollack L, Fane BA, and Rossmann MG
- Subjects
- Lipopolysaccharides chemistry, Lipopolysaccharides metabolism, Bacteriophage phi X 174 chemistry, Bacteriophage phi X 174 metabolism, Capsid Proteins chemistry, Capsid Proteins metabolism, Cell Wall virology, Escherichia coli virology, Virus Internalization
- Abstract
Unlike tailed bacteriophages, which use a preformed tail for transporting their genomes into a host bacterium, the ssDNA bacteriophage ΦX174 is tailless. Using cryo-electron microscopy and time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering, we show that lipopolysaccharides (LPS) form bilayers that interact with ΦX174 at an icosahedral fivefold vertex and induce single-stranded (ss) DNA genome ejection. The structures of ΦX174 complexed with LPS have been determined for the pre- and post-ssDNA ejection states. The ejection is initiated by the loss of the G protein spike that encounters the LPS, followed by conformational changes of two polypeptide loops on the major capsid F proteins. One of these loops mediates viral attachment, and the other participates in making the fivefold channel at the vertex contacting the LPS., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Published
- 2017
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