Stability and Dynamics of Virus Capsids Described by Coarse-Grained Modeling

We report a study of the structural dynamics of viral capsids, simulated on a microsecond timescale, by employing a coarse-graining molecular dynamics method. The method was calibrated against an all-atom simulation of one complete virus. Among the studied capsids, some collapsed rapidly, while others were found to be stable. Interlocking between coat proteins is found to be a key factor determining the stability of the capsids.