How simple can a model of an empty viral capsid be? Charge distributions in viral capsids

Abstract

We investigate and quantify salient features of the charge distributions on viral capsids. Our analysis combines the experimentally determined capsid geometry with simple models for ionization of amino acids, thus yielding the detailed description of spatial distribution for positive and negative charge across the capsid wall. The obtained data is processed in order to extract the mean radii of distributions, surface charge densities and dipole moment densities. The results are evaluated and examined in light of previously proposed models of capsid charge distributions, which are shown to have to some extent limited value when applied to real viruses.

arXiv comment10 pages, 10 figures; accepted for publication in Journal of Biological Physics

References in corpus (5)

• Energies and pressures in viruses: contribution of nonspecific electrostatic interactions
• Role of electrostatic interactions in the assembly of empty spherical viral capsids
• Electrostatic theory of viral self-assembly: a toy model
• Thermodynamics of nano-spheres encapsulated in virus capsids
• Electrostatic self-energy of a partially formed spherical shell in salt solution: application to stability of tethered and fluid shells -- viruses and vesicles

Cited by in corpus (15)

• Relative humidity in droplet and airborne transmission of disease
• Viral genome structures are optimal for capsid assembly
• RNA topology remolds electrostatic stabilization of viruses
• Electrostatic interaction between SARS-CoV-2 virus and charged electret fibre
• Quasi-Equilibrium Self-Assembly of Small RNA Viruses
• Statistical analysis of sizes and shapes of virus capsids and their resulting elastic properties
• Effects of RNA branching on the electrostatic stabilization of viruses
• Symmetry effects in electrostatic interactions between two arbitrarily charged spherical shells in the Debye-Hückel approximation
• Impact of a non-uniform charge distribution on virus assembly
• Multivalent ion effects on electrostatic stability of virus-like nano-shells
• Adsorption of annealed branched polymers on curved surfaces
• Electrostatics-driven inflation of elastic icosahedral shells as a model for radial swelling of virus-like particles
• Anisotropic DLVO-like interaction for charge patchiness in colloids and proteins
• Electrostatic inactivation of RNA viruses at air-water and liquid-liquid interfaces
• Inverse patchy colloids: synthesis, modeling and self-organization