A stochastic model of icosahedral capsid growth.
The geodesic deviation equations, called also the Jacobi equations, describe only the first-order effects, linear in the small parameter characterizing the deviation from an original worldline. They can be easily generalized if we take into account the higher-order terms. Here we derive these higher-order equations not only directly, but also from the Taylor expansion of the variational principle itself. Then we show how these equations can be used in a novel approach to the two-body problem in...
An analysis of all possible icosahedral viral capsids is proposed. It takes into account the diversity of coat proteins and their positioning in elementary pentagonal and hexagonal configurations, leading to definite capsid size. We show that the self-organization of observed capsids during their production implies a definite composition and configuration of elementary building blocks. The exact number of different protein dimers is related to the...
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