Skip NavigationSkip to Content
Return Return to Search Results

Mechanical properties of murine leukemia virus particles: Effect of maturation

  1. Author:
    Kol, N.
    Gladnikoff, M.
    Barlam, D.
    Shneck, R. Z.
    Rein, A.
    Rousso, I.

  2. Author Address

    Weizmann Inst Sci, Dept Biol Struct, IL-76100 Rehovot, Israel. Ben Gurion Univ Negev, Dept Mech Engn, IL-84105 Beer Sheva, Israel. Ben Gurion Univ Negev, Dept Mat Engn, IL-84105 Beer Sheva, Israel. NCI, HIV Drug Resistance Program, Frederick, MD 21701 USA.;Rousso, I, Weizmann Inst Sci, Dept Biol Struct, IL-76100 Rehovot, Israel.;itay.rousso@weizmann.ac.il
    1. Year: 2006
    2. Date: Jul
  2. Journal: Biophysical Journal
    1. 91
    2. 2
    3. Pages: 767-774
  4. Type of Article: Article
  5. ISSN: 0006-3495
  1. Abstract:

    After budding from the host cell, retroviruses undergo a process of internal reorganization called maturation, which is prerequisite to infectivity. Viral maturation is accompanied by dramatic morphological changes, which are poorly understood in physical/mechanistic terms. Here, we study the mechanical properties of live mature and immature murine leukemia virus particles by indentation-type experiments conducted with an atomic force microscope tip. We find that both mature and immature particles have an elastic shell. Strikingly, the virus shell is twofold stiffer in the immature (0.68 N/m) than the mature (0.31 N/m) form. However, finite-element simulation shows that the average Young's modulus of the immature form is more than fourfold lower than that of the mature form. This finding suggests that per length unit, the protein-protein interactions in the mature shell are stronger than those in the immature shell. We also show that the mature virus shell is brittle, since it can be broken by application of large loading forces, by firm attachment to a substrate, or by repeated application of force. Our results are the first analysis of the mechanical properties of an animal virus, and demonstrate a linkage between virus morphology and mechanical properties.

    See More

  1. Keywords:

External Sources

  1. View Full Text
  2. DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.105.079657
  3. View record in Web of Science®
  4. WOS: 000238611700039

Library Notes

  1. No notes added.
NCI at FrederickClose Button

You are leaving a government website.

This external link provides additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of this site. The government cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal site.

Linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by this institution or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site. You will be subject to the destination site's privacy policy when you follow the link.

ContinueCancel