Structural characterization of filamentous bacteriophage viruses by magic-angle spinning solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Project Information

PHAGE MAS SSNMR

Grant agreement ID: 224800

Project closed

Start date 1 March 2008

End date 29 February 2012

Funded under

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Total cost € 100 000,00

EU contribution € 100 000,00

Coordinated by

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY
Israel

Objective

Filamentous bacteriophages comprise a family of viruses that share a similar virion structure and life cycle. The virion is composed of a circular ssDNA wrapped by thousands of similar copies of a major coat protein and several different minor coat proteins in both ends. Due to the mass (tens of MegaDaltons) and dimensions (~7 nm in diameter, 600 – 2000 nm in length) of filamentous phages, structural models have been obtained primarily from fiber diffraction, and from static solid state NMR of aligned concentrated solutions. Yet, these models are incomplete, and vary even within individual virions. Also, some key questions regarding DNA structure, subunit-DNA interactions, microscopic polymorphism, and more, remain unclear or are in debate. Magic-angle spinning solid state NMR (MAS SSNMR) has been shown recently to be a complementary and successful method for studying the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules. Examples are membrane proteins, protein aggregates and fibrils, and recently, the Pf1 filamentous phage. Also, sample preparation for MAS SSNMR is more flexible, and measurements can be performed in conditions, which are either biologically relevant, or important for their biophysical characterization. The goal of the proposed project is to structurally characterize and compare the three key phages fd, Ike, and Pf3, using MAS SSNMR as a principal spectroscopic tool. These phages were chosen, since they represent different structural properties of such virions. We anticipate that our proposed studies will resolve some of the key questions regarding the structural assembly of filamentous phages, and enhance our understanding on the possible ways in which these phages assemble at their host bacteria. Our results will also provide suitable model systems for studies of other complex biological systems.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › biological sciences › microbiology › bacteriology
• natural sciences › biological sciences › microbiology › virology
• natural sciences › biological sciences › genetics › DNA
• natural sciences › biological sciences › biochemistry › biomolecules › proteins
• natural sciences › physical sciences › optics › spectroscopy › absorption spectroscopy

Keywords

• Structural biology
• filamentous bacteriophage
• magic angle spinning
• protein-DNA interactions
• solid state NMR

Programme(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

• PEOPLE-2007-4-3.IRG - Marie Curie Action: "International Reintegration Grants"

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-3-IRG
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

MC-IRG - International Re-integration Grants (IRG)

Coordinator

TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY

• EU contribution: € 100 000,00
• Address: RAMAT AVIV ; 69978 Tel Aviv ; Israel
• Activity type: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Administrative Contact: Lea Pais (Ms.)
• Total cost: No data