Back to your search result

Description

The bacteriophage MS2 is a small, male-specific RNA bacteriophage that infects E. coli and other members of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Its genome comprises a single sense (+) strand of RNA 3569 nucleotides in length, which encodes only four proteins: the coat protein, the A or maturation protein, which is required for infectivity, a subunit of the viral replicase, and a small lysis protein encoded in an overlapping reading frame. The capsid protein (UniProt: P03612, also known as CP, Coat protein) of bacteriophage MS2 is a translational repressor. It is reported to inhibit the synthesis of the viral replicase by binding a specific RNA structure that contains the replicase translation initiation region. Capsid protein self-assembles to form an icosahedral capsid with a T=3 symmetry and consists of 89 capsid proteins dimers (178 capsid proteins). It is involved in viral genome encapsidation through the interaction between a capsid protein homodimer and the multiple packaging signals present in the RNA genome. Proline 78 is shown to be essential for viral infectivity. (Ref.: Hill, HR et al. (1997). J. Mol. Biol. 266(1), 1-7).