Design and self-assembly of simple coat proteins for artificial viruses

摘要: Viruses are among the simplest biological systems and highly effective vehicles for delivery of genetic material into susceptible host cells. Artificial viruses can be used as model providing insights natural considered a testing ground developing artificial life. Moreover, they in biomedical biotechnological applications, such targeted nucleic acids gene therapy scaffolds science. In setting, survival requires that significant fraction replicated genomes completely protected by coat proteins. Complete protection genome is ensured cooperative supramolecular process between proteins acids, which based on reversible, weak allosteric interactions only. However, incorporating this type cooperativity remains challenging. Here, we report rational design self-assembling minimal viral protein simple polypeptide domains. Our features precise control over its self-assembly with single DNA molecules to finally form rod-shaped virus-like particles. We confirm validity our principles showing kinetics particles follows previous developed tobacco mosaic virus. show protect against enzymatic degradation transfect cells considerable efficiency, making them promising vehicles.