The self-assembly of the protein shell ("capsid") of a virus appears to obey the law of mass action (LMA) despite the fact that viral assembly is a nonequilibrium process. In this paper we examine a model for capsid assembly, the "assembly line model," that can be analyzed analytically. We show that, in this model, efficient viral assembly from a supersaturated solution is characterized by a shock front propagating in the assembly configuration space from small to large aggregate sizes. If this shock front can reach the size of assembled capsids, then capsid assembly follows either the LMA or a "pseudo" LMA that describes partitioning of capsid proteins between assembled capsids and a metastable, supersaturated solution of free proteins that decays logarithmically slowly. We show that the applicability of the LMA and the pseudo-LMA is governed by two dimensionless parameters: the dimensionless nucleation rate and the dimensionless line energy of incomplete capsids.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3212694 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Development of a Screening Intervention for Dysphagia in Hospitalised Geriatric Patients.
Dysphagia
January 2025
The Unit of Health Promotion, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark.
Prevalence of dysphagia is high in hospitalised geriatric patients, posing risks of complications including malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration, and pneumonia. These complications may lead to reduced daily functioning, frailty, prolonged hospital stays, readmissions, and mortality. Diagnosing dysphagia in geriatric patients is often challenging due to the complex health conditions of this patient group, and overall these patients are at risk of lack of continuity in patient pathways and unnecessary hospitalisations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAqueous extract of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. improves dexamethasone-induced skeletal muscle atrophy in mice by enhancing mitochondrial biological function.
Exp Gerontol
January 2025
School of Food and Bioengineering, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China.
Purpose: The study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects of the aqueous extract of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (AEA) on dexamethasone (Dex) -induced sarcopenia in mice and to explore its possible mechanisms of action.
Methods: This study utilized bioinformatics analysis to explore the primary pathogenic mechanisms of age-related sarcopenia and Dex-induced muscle atrophy.
The atypical proteome of mitochondria from mature pollen grains.
Curr Biol
January 2025
Department of Plant Physiology, UPSC, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address:
To propagate their genetic material, flowering plants rely on the production of large amounts of pollen grains that are capable of germinating on a compatible stigma. Pollen germination and pollen tube growth are thought to be extremely energy-demanding processes. This raises the question of whether mitochondria from pollen grains are specifically tuned to support this developmental process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTraditional Chinese medicine Chaiqinchengqi decoction for patients with acute pancreatitis: A randomized clinical trial.
Phytomedicine
January 2025
West China Centre of Excellence for Pancreatitis, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, PR China.. Electronic address:
Background: Chaiqinchengqi decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine, has shown promising effects in in vitro, animal and preliminary small human studies for acute pancreatitis, but evidence of clinical practice is limited.
Purpose: To investigate whether Chaiqinchengqi decoction could improve clinical outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.
Study Design: Prospective, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial.
Inotodiol induces hepatocellular carcinoma apoptosis by activation of MAPK/ERK pathway.
PLoS One
January 2025
Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) has a high mortality and morbidity rate and seriously jeopardizes human life. Chemicals and chemotherapeutic agents have been experiencing problems such as side effects and drug resistance in the treatment of HCC, which cannot meet the needs of clinical treatment. Therefore, finding novel low-toxicity and high-efficiency anti-hepatocellular carcinoma drugs and exploring their mechanisms of action have become the current problems to be solved in the treatment of HCC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!