Structural basis of the temperature transition of Pf1 bacteriophage

The filamentous bacteriophage Pfl undergoes a reversible temperature-dependent transition that is also influenced by salt concentrations. This structural responsiveness may be a manifestation of the important biological property of flexibility, which is necessary for long, thin filamentous assemblies as a protection against shear forces. To investigate structural changes in the major coat protein, one- and two-dimensional solid-state NMR spectra of concentrated solutions of Pfl bacteriophage were acquired, and the structure of the coat protein determined at 0 degrees C was compared with the structure previously determined at 30 degrees C. Despite dramatic differences in the NMR spectra, the overall change in the coat protein structure is small. Changes in the orientation of the C-terminal helical segment and the conformation of the first five residues at the N-terminus are apparent. These results are consistent with prior studies by X-ray fiber diffraction and other biophysical methods.