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Double-ring nucleocapsid of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Structural highlights
FunctionNCAP_HRSVA Encapsidates the genome, protecting it from nucleases. The nucleocapsid (NC) has a helical structure. The encapsidated genomic RNA is termed the NC and serves as template for transcription and replication. During replication, encapsidation by protein N is coupled to RNA synthesis and all replicative products are resistant to nucleases.[1] Publication Abstract from PubMedHuman Respiratory Syncytial Virus (HRSV) is a prevalent cause of severe respiratory infections in children and the elderly. The helical HRSV nucleocapsid is a template for the viral RNA synthesis and a scaffold for the virion assembly. This cryo-electron microscopy analysis reveals the non-canonical arrangement of the HRSV nucleocapsid helix, composed of 16 nucleoproteins per asymmetric unit, and the resulting systematic variations in the RNA accessibility. We demonstrate that this unique helical symmetry originates from longitudinal interactions by the C-terminal arm of the HRSV nucleoprotein. We explore the polymorphism of the nucleocapsid-like assemblies, report five structures of the full-length particles and two alternative arrangements formed by a C-terminally truncated nucleoprotein mutant, and demonstrate the functional importance of the identified longitudinal interfaces. We put all these findings in the context of the HRSV RNA synthesis machinery and delineate the structural basis for its further investigation. Structural landscape of the respiratory syncytial virus nucleocapsids.,Gonnin L, Desfosses A, Bacia-Verloop M, Chevret D, Galloux M, Eleouet JF, Gutsche I Nat Commun. 2023 Sep 15;14(1):5732. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41439-8. PMID:37714861[2] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. References
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