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Title: Systematic engineering of virus-like particles to identify self-assembly rules for shifting particle size
Virus-like particles (VLPs) are promising scaffolds for biomaterials as well as diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, there are some key challenges to be solved, such as the ability to engineer alternate sizes for varied use cases. To this end, we created a library of MS2 VLP variants at two key residues in the coat protein which have been implicated as important to controlling VLP size and geometry. By adapting a method for systematic mutagenesis coupled with size-based selections and high-throughput sequencing as a readout, we developed a quantitative assessment of two residues in MS2 coat protein that govern the size shift in MS2 VLPs. We then applied the strategy to the equivalent residues in Qβ VLPs, an MS2 homolog, and demonstrate that the analogous pair of residues are also able to impact Qβ VLP size and shape. These results underscore the power of fitness landscapes in identifying critical features for assembly.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2043973
PAR ID:
10468724
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Elsevier
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Virology
Volume:
579
Issue:
C
ISSN:
0042-6822
Page Range / eLocation ID:
137 to 147
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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