Abstract
The bluetongue virus core is a molecular machine that simultaneously and repeatedly transcribes mRNA from 10 segments of viral double-stranded RNA, packaged in a liquid crystalline array. To determine how the logistical problems of transcription within a sealed shell are solved, core crystals were soaked with various ligands and analysed by X-ray crystallography. Mg2+ ions produce a slight expansion of the capsid around the 5-fold axes. Oligonucleotide soaks demonstrate that the 5-fold pore, opened up by this expansion, is the exit site for mRNA, whilst nucleotide soaks pinpoint a separate binding site that appears to be a selective channel for the entry and exit of substrates and by-products. Finally, nucleotides also bind to the outer core layer, providing a substrate sink.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 7229-7239 |
Journal | EMBO Journal |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 24 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 17 Dec 2001 |
Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)
- Bluetongue virus
- Reoviridae
- TRANSCRIPTION
- Virus structure
- X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY