Year: 2011
Type: article
Abstract: The forces that stabilize multi-protein complexes and drive their assembly operate on three levels: (i) the folding of individual subunits; (ii) their oligomerization into functional building-blocks; (iii) assembly of the building-blocks into final complete structures.There must be coordination between these respective levels in the hierarchy and coordination must be maintained through the conformational changes that many complexes undergo during their reaction cycles.We have been studying the assembly and maturation of bacteriophage HK97 capsid, considered as a tractable model system, whereby both the energetics (by differential scanning calorimetry) and the structure (by cryo-EM) are addressed.As it matures, the capsid passes through five distinct structural states [1].When heated, several of these particles exhibit phase transitions [2,3] in which the protein shell remains intact but substantial changes in structure may be incurred [4].
Source: Microscopy and Microanalysis
Institutions: National Institutes of Health, University of Pittsburgh
Language: English
Subfield: Structural Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2018030507