Structural highlights
Function
[Q1I2B5_9INFA] Encapsidates the negative strand viral RNA, protecting it from nucleases. The encapsidated genomic RNA is termed the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and serves as template for transcription and replication. The RNP needs to be localized in the nucleus to start an infectious cycle, but is too large to diffuse through the nuclear pore complex. NP comprises at least 2 nuclear localization signals and is responsible of the active RNP import into the nucleus through the cellular importin alpha/beta pathway. Later in the infection, nucleus export of RNP are mediated through viral proteins NEP interacting with M1 which binds nucleoproteins. It is possible that the nucleoprotein binds directly exportin-1 (XPO1) and plays an active role in RNP nuclear export. M1 interaction with RNP seems to hide nucleoprotein's nuclear localization signals. Soon after a virion infects a new cell, M1 dissociates from the RNP under acidification of the virion driven by M2 protein. Dissociation of M1 from RNP unmask nucleoprotein's nuclear localization signals, targeting the RNP to the nucleus (By similarity).[SAAS:SAAS00208116]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Influenza virus ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) are central to the viral life cycle and in adaptation to new host species. RNPs are composed of the viral genome, viral polymerase, and many copies of the viral nucleoprotein. In vitro cell expression of all RNP protein components with four of the eight influenza virus gene segments enabled structural determination of native influenza virus RNPs by means of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The cryo-EM structure reveals the architecture and organization of the native RNP, defining the attributes of its largely helical structure and how polymerase interacts with nucleoprotein and the viral genome. Observations of branched-RNP structures in negative-stain electron microscopy and their putative identification as replication intermediates suggest a mechanism for viral replication by a second polymerase on the RNP template.
Organization of the influenza virus replication machinery.,Moeller A, Kirchdoerfer RN, Potter CS, Carragher B, Wilson IA Science. 2012 Dec 21;338(6114):1631-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1227270. Epub 2012, Nov 22. PMID:23180774[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Moeller A, Kirchdoerfer RN, Potter CS, Carragher B, Wilson IA. Organization of the influenza virus replication machinery. Science. 2012 Dec 21;338(6114):1631-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1227270. Epub 2012, Nov 22. PMID:23180774 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1227270
