Human Metapneumovirus Phosphoprotein Independently Drives Phase Separation and Recruits Nucleoprotein to Liquid-Like Bodies.

ABSTRACT: Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) inclusion bodies (IBs) are dynamic structures required for efficient viral replication and transcription. The minimum components needed to form IB-like structures in cells are the nucleoprotein (N) and the tetrameric phosphoprotein (P). HMPV P binds to the following two versions of the N protein in infected cells: N-terminal P residues interact with monomeric N (N⁰) to maintain a pool of protein to encapsidate new RNA and C-terminal P residues interact with oligomeric, RNA-bound N (N-RNA). Recent work on other negative-strand viruses has suggested that IBs are, at least in part, liquid-like phase-separated membraneless organelles. Here, HMPV IBs in infected or transfected cells were shown to possess liquid organelle properties, such as fusion and fis

SUBMITTER: Boggs KB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9239117 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature