Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41654509›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Cryo-EM structures of bacteriophage T4 portal-neck assembly intermediates reveal a viral genome retention mechanism.

Lin Han, Qiyu Mao, Jingen Zhu, Xiaohui Jin, Xiaodan Wang, Zhimin Liu, Narbada Upreti, Xiaorong Wu, Qianglin Fang, Andrei Fokine and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Lin Han *Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Qiyu Mao *Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jingen Zhu *Bacteriophage T4 Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA.
Xiaohui JinShanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Xiaodan WangShanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0009-0005-3978-1355
Zhimin LiuShanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Narbada UpretiBacteriophage T4 Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA.
Xiaorong WuBacteriophage T4 Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA.
Qianglin FangSchool of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1844-7313
Andrei FokineDepartment of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9349-1619
Venigalla B RaoBacteriophage T4 Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA. rao@cua.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-0777-6587
Zhenguo ChenShanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. zchen@5thhospital.com.ORCID 0000-0003-4748-9299
Lei SunShanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. LLSun@fudan.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-8741-0202

Funding

Engineering Bacteriophage T4 as a Targeted Gene Therapy Drug for in vivo HIV CureDP1DA060580 · NIDA · CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA · PI Venigalla B. Rao · 2024 to 2026
$3.0M
Structural Mechanisms Of Genome Flow In Bacteriophage T4 And Their Biomedical ApplicationsR01AI175340 · NIAID · CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA · PI Venigalla B. Rao · 2023 to 2026
$1.9M
National Key R&D Program of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 92469108National Science FoundationNIAID NIH HHS R01 AI175340NIDA NIH HHS DP1 DA060580
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bacteriophage T4 has long served as an extraordinary model for tailed phages. During virion assembly, the viral DNA genome is tightly packed into the head, to which tail attaches via a portal-neck connector. Keeping this highly pressurized head leak-proof during these transactions is a challenge, yet the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we show that T4 seals its DNA-filled capsid using a double "genome-gate" mechanism. By reconstituting portal (gp20)-neck (gp13/gp14) assembly intermediates in vitro and determining their structures, we find that the gp14 hexamer forms a primary gate that closes the portal-neck opening. This gate is reinforced by a second gate formed by the host protein Hfq, which is hijacked by the virus as an accessory structural component. Hfq also stabilizes neck assembly and prevents its mis-assembly with portal. These studies define a viral genome retention mechanism in which a pre-assembled gp13/gp14/Hfq neck complex seals the pressurized, genome-filled capsid during virion maturation.

Indexed as

Bacteriophage T4Genome, ViralVirus AssemblyCapsidCapsid ProteinsCryoelectron MicroscopyDNA, ViralVirionCapsid ProteinsDNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID41654509
PMCPMC12929587

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.