Function
The capsid protein (CA) is a key structural component of the Ty1 virus-like particle (VLP). It forms the shell that encapsulates the retrotransposon's dimeric RNA genome. The particles assemble from trimer-clustered units, and their capsid shells exhibit holes that facilitate the diffusion of macromolecules. CA also possesses nucleocapsid-like chaperone activity, promoting primer tRNA(i)-Met annealing to the multipartite primer-binding site (PBS), dimerization of Ty1 RNA, and initiation of reverse transcription.