Bacteriophage pRNA is a ncRNA element. During replication of linear dsDNA viruses, the viral genome is packaged into the pre-formed viral procapsid. The packaging of DNA into the procapsid requires a molecular motor, which uses ATP as energy to accomplish the energetically unfavorable motion. In some bacteriophage, an RNA (pRNA) molecule is a vital component of this motor.[1] Structural analyses of the packaging motor have demonstrated that the pRNA molecule has fivefold symmetry when attached to the prohead.[2][3][4] The pRNA is thought to be bound by the capsid connector protein.[4] Only the first 120 bases of the pRNA are essential for packing the viral DNA.[5][6] The pRNA is proposed to be composed of two domains, one corresponding to the first 120 bases and the second to the remaining 50 bases.[6] Nuclear cleavage occurs in the single strand region linking these two domains.[6]
^ abBadasso MO, Leiman PG, Tao Y, et al. (2000). "Purification, crystallization and initial X-ray analysis of the head-tail connector of bacteriophage phi29". Acta Crystallogr. D. 56 (Pt 9): 1187–1190. doi:10.1107/S0907444900009239. PMID10957642.