title: Homotypic interaction of Bunyamwera virus nucleocapsid protein.
abstract: The bunyavirus nucleocapsid protein, N, plays a central role in viral replication in encapsidating the three genomic RNA segments to form functional templates for transcription and replication by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Here we report functional mapping of interacting domains of the Bunyamwera orthobunyavirus N protein by yeast and mammalian two-hybrid systems, immunoprecipitation experiments, and chemical cross-linking studies. N forms a range of multimers from dimers to high-molecular-weight structures, independently of the presence of RNA. Deletion of the N- or C-terminal domains resulted in loss of activity in a minireplicon assay and a decreased capacity for N to form higher multimers. Our data suggest a head-to-head and tail-to-tail multimerization model for the orthobunyavirus N protein.
authors.affiliation: Division of Virology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Vincent H J
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kohl
authors.forename: Jane C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McLees
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D002042:Bunyamwera virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques
chemical_list: C423924:N protein, Bunyamwera bunyavirus; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral