Viral Self Components of the Tectiviridae Family

Abstract

One purpose of this study was to crystallize the major capsid protein, P3, for Bam35, belonging to the Tectiviridae family. Diffraction data is needed to determine the structure of P3. The hope is that this structure can confirm Bam35's place in a double trimer viral lineage spanning all domains of life. The other focus was on the DNA packaging vertex of PRD1, Tectivirdae's type species. One of the four proteins comprising this vertex, P6, was focused on to crystallize. Further structures would have to be determined from this arena for comparison of the viral self components. The viral self is an explanation of how viruses can diverge, rather than converge, to share extremely similar structural aspects, but have vastly different genome sequences and host preferences. Being able to solve these structures will allow for the confirmation of the divergence theory and an affirmation of the double barrel trimer viral lineage.