Structure of Small Viruses

Structure of Small Viruses

Contributor(s):
Watson, James D., 1928-
Crick, Francis, 1916-2004
Nature
Publication:
Nature Publishing Group, 10 March 1956
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Genre(s):
Archival Materials
Articles
Abstract:
Renewing their collaboration during Watson's return to the Cavendish laboratory in the fall of 1955, Watson and Crick in this article laid out a theory for explaining why all plant viruses whose structure had been studied up to that time were very similar in shape, either rod-shaped (cylindrical) or spherical. In developing their theory they once again benefited from their complementary expertise, namely Crick's extensive knowledge of X-ray crystallography and Watson's previous studies with tobacco mosaic virus and ribonucleic acid. They proposed that plant viruses consistently took one of two shapes because the two chemical components of which they were made up, ribonucleic acid surrounded by a large number of identical protein subunits, were assembled according to a general plan that was determined by "symmetry elements," structural requirements imposed by the shape of each protein subunit and by the angles of the bonds they formed with the ribonucleic acid core.
Copyright:
This item may be under copyright protection; contact the copyright owner for permission before re-use.
Extent:
3 pages
NLM Unique ID:
101584582X395 (See in Profiles in Science)
Profiles in Science ID:
SCBBZN
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101584582X395
Archival Collection:
The Francis Crick Papers (Profiles in Science)