Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42721160›Full record

ArticlePLoS pathogens2026

Conserved assembly architecture of the essential herpesvirus packaging accessory factor.

Elizabeth J Bailey, Swapnil C Devarkar, Renata Szczepaniak, Laura M Meißner, Xinyu Chen, Chunxiang Wu, Sandra K Weller, Yong Xiong, Allison L Didychuk

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS pathogens, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Elizabeth J BaileyDepartment of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-5877-7224
Swapnil C DevarkarDepartment of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.
Renata SzczepaniakDepartment of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, United States of America.
Laura M MeißnerDepartment of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.
Xinyu ChenDepartment of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.
Chunxiang WuDepartment of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-8635-1578
Sandra K WellerDepartment of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, United States of America.
Yong XiongDepartment of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.
Allison L DidychukDepartment of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-7277-5233

Funding

ChimeraX -- Next Generation Visualization and Analysis Software for Multiscale ModelingR01GM129325 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI FERRIN, THOMAS E · 2018 to 2025
$5.2M
Dissecting the mechanism of herpesvirus genome packagingDP2AI171113 · NIAID · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI Allison Louise Didychuk · 2022 to 2026
$2.5M
High-throughput electron cryo-microscopeS10OD023603 · OD · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI SIGWORTH, FREDERICK J · 2018 to 2018
$1.9M
American Cancer SocietyNIAID NIH HHS DP2 AI171113NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM129325NIH HHS DP2 AI171113NIH HHS S10 OD023603
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To create a new wave of infectious virions, all herpesviruses require an accessory factor of unknown function to package their viral genomes into nascent capsids. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of the packaging accessory factor from the α-herpesvirus herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1, UL32) and the β-herpesvirus human cytomegalovirus (HCMV, UL52). Unlike homologs from the γ-herpesviruses, neither UL32 nor UL52 form stable homopentameric rings. UL52 forms incomplete pentameric rings lacking one or two protomers. UL32 does not form stable higher-order species, but stabilization through chemical crosslinking revealed a novel quaternary structure where three pentameric rings assemble into a "tripentamer." Our results reveal that herpesvirus packaging accessory factors adopt distinct oligomeric states but are constrained to pentameric symmetry. Assembly of protomers into a ring creates a positively charged central channel that we show is critical for infectious virus production in HSV-1. Taken together, our study points to a structurally conserved, essential function of packaging accessory factors across the Herpesviridae.

Indexed as

CytomegalovirusHerpesvirus 1, HumanViral ProteinsVirus AssemblyCryoelectron MicroscopyHumansViral Proteins

Identifiers

PMID42721160
PMCPMC13561365

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.