Morphological diversity of the icosahedral viruses
Geological Institute of FRC KSC RAS
Fersman str., 14, Apatity, 184209 Russia
*e-mail: woyt@geoksc.apatity.ru
The article is devoted to the morphological diversity of icosahedral viruses – a separate capsids and the structure of diversity in general. It is shown that the fixation of capsids with three-angulation numbers does not distinguish isomers. Description of capsids with symmetry point groups Ih (with symmetry planes) and I (without them) is detailed. In their diversity, the similarity series are highlighted, connected in pairs by transitions to dual capsids. In the framework of the general biological problems, the similarity series are interpreted as homological rows, while dual transitions between them – as refrains. The concept of capsids-generators is determined, which generate the homological series and refrains and cannot be reduced to simpler forms. Hypotheses have been expressed that not only icosahedron and dual dodecahedron can be the basic forms of icosahedral viruses, but all the forms of icosahedron-dodecahedron system and even their combinations, while the homological rows and refrains of icosahedral viruses may indicate their phylogenetic kinship.
