title: Crystal structure of the rabies virus nucleoprotein-RNA complex.
abstract: Negative-strand RNA viruses condense their genome into a helical nucleoprotein-RNA complex, the nucleocapsid, which is packed into virions and serves as a template for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complex. The crystal structure of a recombinant rabies virus nucleoprotein-RNA complex, organized in an undecameric ring, has been determined at 3.5 angstrom resolution. Polymerization of the nucleoprotein is achieved by domain exchange between protomers, with flexible hinges allowing nucleocapsid formation. The two core domains of the nucleoprotein clamp around the RNA at their interface and shield it from the environment. RNA sequestering by nucleoproteins is likely a common mechanism used by negative-strand RNA viruses to protect their genomes from the innate immune response directed against viral RNA in human host cells at certain stages of an infectious cycle.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale, FRE 2854 Université Joseph Fourier-CNRS, Boite Postale 181, 38042 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Aurélie A V
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Albertini
authors.forename: Amy K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Wernimont
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muziol
authors.forename: Raimond B G
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Ravelli
authors.forename: Cedric R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Clapier
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schoehn
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weissenhorn
authors.forename: Rob W H
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Ruigrok
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017510:Protein Folding; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000737:chemistry; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; C099601:nucleocapsid protein, Rabies virus; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases