title: Structural phosphoprotein M2-1 of the human respiratory syncytial virus is an RNA binding protein.
abstract: The structural phosphoprotein M2-1 of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) Long strain shows RNA binding capacity in three different assays that detect RNA-protein complexes: cross-linking, gel retardation, and Northern-Western assays. It is able to bind HRSV leader RNA specifically with cooperative kinetics, with an apparent K(d) of at least 90 nM. It also binds to long RNAs with no sequence specificity. The RNA binding domain has been located between amino acid residues 59 and 85, at the NH(2) terminus of the protein. This region contains the phosphorylatable amino acid residues threonine 56 and serine 58, whose modification decreases the binding capacity of M2-1 protein to long RNAs.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asenjo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Villanueva
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D017353:Gene Deletion; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014162:Transfection; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins