Scar-driven shape-changes of virus capsids

Abstract

We propose that certain patterns (scars) could be relevant to extend the classic Caspar and Klug construction for icosahedrally-shaped virus capsids. These scars are theoretically and numerically predicted to be formed by electrons arranged on a sphere to minimize the repulsive Coulomb potential (the Thomson problem) and are experimentally found in spherical crystals formed by self-assembled polystyrene beads (an instance of the generalized Thomson problem). Scars could be produced on the capsid at an intermediate stage of its evolution and the release of the bending energy present in scars into stretching energy could allow for shape-changes. The conjecture can be tested in experiments and/or in numerical simulations. © 2008 Versita Warsaw and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.