Gómez-Blanco J, Luque D, González JM, Carrascosa JL, Alfonso C, Trus B, Havens WM, Ghabrial SA, Castón JR.
Cryoelectron microscopy reconstruction of Cryphonectria nitschkei
virus 1, a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus, shows that the capsid
protein (60 copies/particle) is formed by a repeated
helical core, indicative of gene duplication. This
unusual organization is common to chrysoviruses. The arrangement of many
of these putative α-helices is conserved in the
totivirus L-A capsid protein, suggesting a shared motif. Our results
indicate
that a 120-subunit T=1 capsid is a conserved
architecture that optimizes dsRNA replication and organization.