Phage Assembly
A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacterial Viruses".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 92
Special Issue Editors
Interests: filamentous phages; protein
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: giant phages; phage structure/assembly; genomics; genetics; proteomics; host–phage interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phages and archeal viruses have evolved over millions of years, constantly adapting to ever-changing selective pressures from their hosts and environments. These forces have resulted in an extraordinarily high amount of genetic diversity between different phages, and a breathtaking array of virion structures. Different phage virions vary in terms of gross morphology, such as whether a virion is tailed, spherical, filamentous or pleopmorphic, but also regarding their dimensions, composition and complexity. Consequently, a comprehensive characterization of the virions of many phages has not been completed, and even less is known about how they are formed. However, with such differences in virions across viral taxa there must be many assembly pathways, with some likely more broadly conserved than others.
The current knowledge regarding prokaryotic virus assembly is mostly derived from the study of various model phages. Very generally, virion assembly initiates with the replication of viral genetic material and proteins that are then incorporated into progeny particles. The replication of virion components usually (but not always) occurs at pre-determined times during infection. The assembly of each virion occurs via self-triggered processes that are often exquisitely temporally controlled by a series of conformational cascades. In general, each process is initiated by an oligomeric protein that recruits defined partner proteins in consecutive steps, creating an assembly product of increasing complexity. These processes typically require host machinery and/or partner proteins and different assembly steps can require radically different cell locales, resulting in impressive displays of host exploitation by some viruses.
There are increasing numbers of suitable experimental approaches that can provide novel insight into the molecular details of these assembly processes, including those that utilize high resolution cryo-electron microscopy, and others such as genetic and biochemical techniques. With the numerous questions that remain regarding phage assembly processes and the many approaches by which they can be addressed, we welcome your submissions to this Special Issue.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Kuhn
Dr. Julie Thomas
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- capsid assembly
- DNA packaging
- portal assembly
- host receptor
- tail contraction
- ejectosome assembly
- DNA translocation
- lysis control
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