Figure 5From: The protein interaction map of bacteriophage lambdaHead assembly. Head assembly has been subdivided in five steps although most steps are not very well understood in mechanistic terms. The tail is assembled independently. The C protease, the scaffolding protein Nu3, and the portal protein (B) form an ill-defined initiator structure. Protein E joins this complex but the chaperonins GroES and GroEL are required for that step. Within the prohead C and E are processed to form covalently joined X1 and X2 proteins although this is controversial (see text). Proteins Nu1, A, and FI are required for DNA packaging. Protein D joins and stabilizes the capsid as a structural protein. FII and W are connecting the head to the tail that joins once the head is completed. Modified after [12] and [20].Back to article page