Density waves theory of the capsid structure of small icosahedral viruses

Abstract

We apply Landau theory of crystallization to explain and to classify the capsid structures of small viruses with spherical topology and icosahedral symmetry. We develop an explicit method which predicts the positions of centers of mass for the proteins constituting viral capsid shell. Corresponding density distribution function which generates the positions has universal form without any fitting parameter. The theory describes in a uniform way both the structures satisfying the well-known Caspar and Klug geometrical model for capsid construction and those violating it. The quasiequivalence of protein environments in viral capsid and peculiarities of the assembly thermodynamics are also discussed.

arXiv comment8 pages, 3 figure

References in corpus (2)

• Virus shapes and buckling transitions in spherical shells
• Viral self-assembly as a thermodynamic process

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