Reovirus sigmaNS protein is required for nucleation of viral assembly complexes and formation of viral inclusions.

ABSTRACT: Progeny virions of mammalian reoviruses are assembled in the cytoplasm of infected cells at discrete sites termed viral inclusions. Studies of temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant viruses indicate that nonstructural protein sigmaNS and core protein mu2 are required for synthesis of double-stranded (ds) RNA, a process that occurs at sites of viral assembly. We used confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and ts mutant reoviruses to define the roles of sigmaNS and mu2 in viral inclusion formation. In cells infected with wild-type (wt) reovirus, sigmaNS and mu2 colocalize to large, perinuclear structures that correspond to viral inclusions. In cells infected at a nonpermissive temperature with sigmaNS-mutant virus tsE320, sigmaNS is distributed diffusely in the cytoplasm and mu2 is contained in s

SUBMITTER: Becker MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC114052 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature