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A viral genome packaging motor transitions between cyclic and helical symmetry to translocate dsDNA.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Woodson, M; Pajak, J; Mahler, BP; Zhao, W; Zhang, W; Arya, G; White, MA; Jardine, PJ; Morais, MC
Published in: Science advances
May 2021

Molecular segregation and biopolymer manipulation require the action of molecular motors to do work by applying directional forces to macromolecules. The additional strand conserved E (ASCE) ring motors are an ancient family of molecular motors responsible for diverse biological polymer manipulation tasks. Viruses use ASCE segregation motors to package their genomes into their protein capsids and provide accessible experimental systems due to their relative simplicity. We show by cryo-EM-focused image reconstruction that ASCE ATPases in viral double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) packaging motors adopt helical symmetry complementary to their dsDNA substrates. Together with previous data, our results suggest that these motors cycle between helical and planar configurations, providing a possible mechanism for directional translocation of DNA. Similar changes in quaternary structure have been observed for proteasome and helicase motors, suggesting an ancient and common mechanism of force generation that has been adapted for specific tasks over the course of evolution.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Science advances

DOI

EISSN

2375-2548

ISSN

2375-2548

Publication Date

May 2021

Volume

7

Issue

19

Start / End Page

eabc1955

Related Subject Headings

  • Virus Assembly
  • Viral Proteins
  • Viral Genome Packaging
  • Genome, Viral
  • DNA, Viral
  • DNA Packaging
 

Citation

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Woodson, M., Pajak, J., Mahler, B. P., Zhao, W., Zhang, W., Arya, G., … Morais, M. C. (2021). A viral genome packaging motor transitions between cyclic and helical symmetry to translocate dsDNA. Science Advances, 7(19), eabc1955. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abc1955
Woodson, Michael, Joshua Pajak, Bryon P. Mahler, Wei Zhao, Wei Zhang, Gaurav Arya, Mark A. White, Paul J. Jardine, and Marc C. Morais. “A viral genome packaging motor transitions between cyclic and helical symmetry to translocate dsDNA.Science Advances 7, no. 19 (May 2021): eabc1955. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abc1955.
Woodson M, Pajak J, Mahler BP, Zhao W, Zhang W, Arya G, et al. A viral genome packaging motor transitions between cyclic and helical symmetry to translocate dsDNA. Science advances. 2021 May;7(19):eabc1955.
Woodson, Michael, et al. “A viral genome packaging motor transitions between cyclic and helical symmetry to translocate dsDNA.Science Advances, vol. 7, no. 19, May 2021, p. eabc1955. Epmc, doi:10.1126/sciadv.abc1955.
Woodson M, Pajak J, Mahler BP, Zhao W, Zhang W, Arya G, White MA, Jardine PJ, Morais MC. A viral genome packaging motor transitions between cyclic and helical symmetry to translocate dsDNA. Science advances. 2021 May;7(19):eabc1955.

Published In

Science advances

DOI

EISSN

2375-2548

ISSN

2375-2548

Publication Date

May 2021

Volume

7

Issue

19

Start / End Page

eabc1955

Related Subject Headings

  • Virus Assembly
  • Viral Proteins
  • Viral Genome Packaging
  • Genome, Viral
  • DNA, Viral
  • DNA Packaging