Dynamical Implications of Viral Tiling Theory

TL;DR

This paper explores how Viral Tiling Theory, inspired by quasicrystal tilings, informs the vibrational dynamics of icosahedral viral capsids, especially their Raman active modes, linking structural classification to observable physical properties.

Contribution

It extends the classification of viral capsids using Viral Tiling Theory to analyze their dynamical vibrational modes, bridging structural symmetry with physical behavior.

Findings

Viral Tiling Theory predicts specific vibrational patterns.

The classification correlates with Raman active mode distributions.

Insights into virus structure-function relationships.

Abstract

The Caspar-Klug classification of viruses whose protein shell, called viral capsid, exhibits icosahedral symmetry, has recently been extended to incorporate viruses whose capsid proteins are exclusively organised in pentamers. The approach, named `Viral Tiling Theory', is inspired by the theory of quasicrystals, where aperiodic Penrose tilings enjoy 5-fold and 10-fold local symmetries. This paper analyzes the extent to which this classification approach informs dynamical properties of the viral capsids, in particular the pattern of Raman active modes of vibrations, which can be observed experimentally.