title: Respiratory syncytial virus matrix protein associates with nucleocapsids in infected cells.
abstract: Little is known about the functions of the matrix (M) protein of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). By analogy with other negative-strand RNA viruses, the M protein should inhibit the viral polymerase prior to packaging and facilitate virion assembly. In this study, localization of the RSV M protein in infected cells and its association with the RSV nucleocapsid complex was investigated. RSV-infected cells were shown to contain characteristic cytoplasmic inclusions. Further analysis showed that these inclusions were localization sites of the M protein as well as the N, P, L and M2-1 proteins described previously. The M protein co-purified with viral ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) from RSV-infected cells. The transcriptase activity of purified RNPs was enhanced by treatment with antibodies to the M protein in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that the M protein is associated with RSV nucleocapsids and, like the matrix proteins of other negative-strand RNA viruses, can inhibit virus transcription.
authors.affiliation: Children's Virology Research Unit, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, PO Box 254, Yarra Bend Road, Fairfield, Victoria 3078, Australia1.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghildyal
authors.affiliation: Children's Virology Research Unit, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, PO Box 254, Yarra Bend Road, Fairfield, Victoria 3078, Australia1.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: Children's Virology Research Unit, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, PO Box 254, Yarra Bend Road, Fairfield, Victoria 3078, Australia1.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Medical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia2.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vardaxis
authors.affiliation: Children's Virology Research Unit, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, PO Box 254, Yarra Bend Road, Fairfield, Victoria 3078, Australia1.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meanger
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000502:physiology*; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins