Structure of the Rift Valley fever virus nucleocapsid protein reveals another architecture for RNA encapsidation.

ABSTRACT: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a negative-sense RNA virus (genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae) that infects livestock and humans and is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Like all negative-sense viruses, the segmented RNA genome of RVFV is encapsidated by a nucleocapsid protein (N). The 1.93-A crystal structure of RVFV N and electron micrographs of ribonucleoprotein (RNP) reveal an encapsidated genome of substantially different organization than in other negative-sense RNA virus families. The RNP polymer, viewed in electron micrographs of both virus RNP and RNP reconstituted from purified N with a defined RNA, has an extended structure without helical symmetry. N-RNA species of approximately 100-kDa apparent molecular weight and heterogeneous composition were obtained by exhaustive ribo

SUBMITTER: Raymond DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2900692 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature