Morphology of Marburg virus NP-RNA.
When Marburg virus (MBGV) nucleoprotein (NP) is expressed in insect cells, it binds to cellular RNA and forms NP-RNA complexes such as insect cell-expressed nucleoproteins from other nonsegmented negative-strand RNA viruses. Recombinant MBGV NP-RNA forms loose coils that resemble rabies virus N-RNA. MBGV NP monomers are rods that are spaced along the coil similar to the nucleoprotein monomers of the rabies virus N-RNA. High salt treatment induces tight coiling of the MBGV NP-RNA, again a characteristic observed for other nonsegmented negative-strand virus N-RNAs. Electron microscopy of fixed Marburg virus particles shows that the viral nucleocapsid has a smaller diameter than the free, recombinant NP-RNA. This difference in helical parameters could be caused by the interaction of other viral proteins with the NP-RNA. A similar but opposite phenomenon is observed for rhabdovirus nucleocapsids that are condensed by the viral matrix protein upon which they acquire a larger diameter. Finally, there appears to be an extensive and regular protein scaffold between the viral nucleocapsid and the membrane that seems not to exist in the other negative-strand RNA viruses.
Mavrakis
Manos
M
EMBL Grenoble Outstation, Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
Kolesnikova
Larissa
L
Schoehn
Guy
G
Becker
Stephan
S
Ruigrok
Rob W H
RW
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D029024:Marburgvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014764:Viral Proteins
D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C073094:nucleoprotein, Marburg virus; D012313:RNA