Modeling Microvirus Capsid Protein Evolution Utili

Authors: Geoffrey S Diemer Kenneth M Stedman

Publish Date: 2016/07/06

Volume: 83, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 38-49

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Abstract

The Microviridae are increasingly becoming recognized as one of the most globally ubiquitous and highly diverse virus families and as such provide an advantageous model for studying virus evolution and adaptation Here we utilize microvirus sequences from diverse physiochemical environments including novel sequences from a hightemperature acidic lake to chart the outcome of natural selection in the main structural protein of the virus Each icosahedral microvirus virion is composed of sixty identical capsid proteins that interact along twofold threefold and fivefold symmetry axis interfaces to encapsidate a small circular singlestranded DNA genome Viable assembly of the virus is guided by scaffolding proteins which coordinate intersubunit contacts between the capsid proteins Structurebased analysis indicates that amino acid sequence conservation is predominantly localized to the twofold axis interface While preservation of this quaternary interface appears to be essential tertiary and secondary structural features of the capsid protein are permissive to considerable sequence variationTwo gokushovirus sequences used in this study were identified from a metagenomic survey of Boiling Springs Lake located in Lassen Volcanic National Park USA Samples were acquired with a research permit from the National Park Service LAVO2008SCI0030 as part of the Boiling Springs Lake Microbial Observatory project supported by the National Science Foundation Grant MCB0702020 to KMS Metagenomic sequencing of the Boiling Springs Lake phage samples GAIR4 and GNX3R was funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation through a Grant to the Broad Institute Additional funding was provided by Portland State University Thanks also to anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly improved the manuscriptThis study was funded by the National Science Foundation Grant Number MCB0702020 Metagenomic sequencing of the Boiling Springs Lake phage samples GAIR4 and GNX3R was funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation through a Grant to the Broad Institute Both GSD and KMS were partially supported by funding from Portland State University

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