de Pablo Pedro J, Mateu Mauricio G
Department of Physics of the Condensed Matter, C03, and IFIMAC (Instituto de Física de la Materia Condensada), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), and Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Subcell Biochem. 2024;105:629-691. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-65187-8_18.
Structural biology techniques have greatly contributed to unveiling the interplay between molecular structure, physico-chemical properties, and biological function of viruses. In recent years, classic structural approaches are being complemented by single-molecule techniques such as atomic force microscopy and optical tweezers to study physical features of viral particles that are not accessible to classic structural techniques. Among these features are mechanical properties such as stiffness, intrinsic elasticity, tensile strength, and material fatigue. The field of virus mechanics is contributing to materials science by investigating some physical parameters of "soft" biological matter and biological nano-objects. Virus mechanics studies are also starting to unveil the biological implications of some physical properties of viruses and their contribution to virus function. Virus particles are subjected to internal and external forces and they may have adapted to withstand, and even use those forces. This chapter focuses on the mechanical properties of virus particles, their structural determinants, their use to study virus function, and some possible biological implications, of which several examples are provided.
结构生物学技术在揭示病毒的分子结构、物理化学性质和生物学功能之间的相互作用方面发挥了巨大作用。近年来，经典的结构方法正得到原子力显微镜和光镊等单分子技术的补充，以研究经典结构技术无法触及的病毒颗粒的物理特征。这些特征包括诸如硬度、固有弹性、拉伸强度和材料疲劳等力学性能。病毒力学领域通过研究“软”生物物质和生物纳米物体的一些物理参数，为材料科学做出了贡献。病毒力学研究也开始揭示病毒某些物理性质的生物学意义及其对病毒功能的贡献。病毒颗粒会受到内力和外力的作用，它们可能已经适应了承受甚至利用这些力。本章重点关注病毒颗粒的力学性质、其结构决定因素、用于研究病毒功能的用途以及一些可能的生物学意义，并提供了几个例子。
