Diameter of capsid

Value 58 nm
Organism Bacteriophage Lambda
Reference Garcia HG, Grayson P, Han L, Inamdar M, Kondev J, Nelson PC, Phillips R, Widom J, Wiggins PA. Biological consequences of tightly bent DNA: the other life of a macromolecular celebrity. Biopolymers. 2007 Feb 5 85(2):115-30. p.117 left column 2nd paragraphPubMed ID17103419
Primary Source Earnshaw WC, Harrison SC. DNA arrangement in isometric phage heads. Nature. 1977 Aug 18 268(5621):598-602.PubMed ID401433
Method Small angle X ray scattering studies, x ray diffraction
Comments "Another measure of the DNA compaction is given by comparing the volume of the DNA to the volume of the capsid. For example, the length of the bacteriophage ? genome is 16µm and it is stored in a 58 nm diameter spherical capsid (primary source). Taking DNA to be a cylinder 2 nm in diameter, the ? genome takes up a volume of roughly 50,000nm^3 which should be compared to 100,000nm^3, the approximate volume available within the capsid. This corresponds to a solution DNA density of about 500 mg/mL." For value of 50nm see BNID 100235
Entered by Uri M
ID 103122