Human parainfluenza virus type 1 matrix and nucleoprotein genes transiently expressed in mammalian cells induce the release of virus-like particles containing nucleocapsid-like structures.
The matrix (M) protein plays an essential role in the assembly and budding of some enveloped RNA viruses. We expressed the human parainfluenza virus type 1 (hPIV-1) M and/or NP genes into 293T cells using the mammalian expression vector pCAGGS. Biochemical and electron microscopic analyses of transfected cells showed that the M protein alone can induce the budding of virus-like particles (vesicles) from the plasma membrane and that the NP protein can assemble into intracellular nucleocapsid-like (NC-like) structures. Furthermore, the coexpression of both the M and NP genes resulted in the production of vesicles enclosing NC-like structures, suggesting that the hPIV-1 M protein has the intrinsic ability to induce membrane vesiculation and to incorporate NC-like structures into these budding vesicles.
Department of Virology and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA.
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EC
Coronel
K G
KG
Murti
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T
Takimoto
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A
Portner
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008322:Mammals; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014771:Virion; D019065:Virus Assembly
D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C079798:human parainfluenza virus type 1 nucleoprotein