Adeno-associated virus capsid assembly is divergent and stochastic

Nat Commun. 2021 Mar 12;12(1):1642. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21935-5.

Abstract

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are increasingly used as gene therapy vectors. AAVs package their genome in a non-enveloped T = 1 icosahedral capsid of ~3.8 megaDalton, consisting of 60 subunits of 3 distinct viral proteins (VPs), which vary only in their N-terminus. While all three VPs play a role in cell-entry and transduction, their precise stoichiometry and structural organization in the capsid has remained elusive. Here we investigate the composition of several AAV serotypes by high-resolution native mass spectrometry. Our data reveal that the capsids assemble stochastically, leading to a highly heterogeneous population of capsids of variable composition, whereby even the single-most abundant VP stoichiometry represents only a small percentage of the total AAV population. We estimate that virtually every AAV capsid in a particular preparation has a unique composition. The systematic scoring of the simulations against experimental native MS data offers a sensitive new method to characterize these therapeutically important heterogeneous capsids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Capsid / chemistry*
  • Capsid / metabolism*
  • Capsid Proteins / chemistry*
  • Capsid Proteins / metabolism*
  • Dependovirus / genetics
  • Dependovirus / metabolism*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Serogroup
  • Sf9 Cells
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism
  • Virus Assembly

Substances

  • Capsid Proteins
  • Viral Proteins