Fig. 1: Locations of HBV RNA packaging signals & structure of the T = 4 NCP.

a Genetic map of the JQ707375.1 HBV pgRNA with the regions encoding open reading frames shown as bars below. The locations of its PSs, corresponding to homologous sites from NC_003977.1, are shown as lollipops, as are the ε and ϕ sites. Here and throughout, blue numbers refer to cognate genome nucleotide locations. b Left, Ribbon diagrams showing amino acids 1–143, of the Cp dimer, with the monomers coloured red and blue (PDB ID 3J2V) viewed from the side with the interior of the particle below (top) or from below (bottom). The locations of the amino acid changes between strains NC_003977.1 and JQ707375.1 are indicated on the blue monomers. Right, I1 reconstruction at ~4.7 Å resolution of the NC_003977.1 T = 4 HBV NCP (EMD-3715) reassembled around an oligonucleotide encompassing its PS1, viewed along a five-fold axis (bar = 100 Å)¹². The projections correspond to the helices in the Cp dimer, left.