Cytoplasmic tails of hantavirus glycoproteins interact with the nucleocapsid protein

J Gen Virol. 2010 Sep;91(Pt 9):2341-50. doi: 10.1099/vir.0.021006-0. Epub 2010 May 5.

Abstract

Here we characterize the interaction between the glycoproteins (Gn and Gc) and the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) of Puumala virus (PUUV; genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae). The interaction was initially established with native proteins by co-immunoprecipitating PUUV nucleocapsid (N) protein with the glycoprotein complex. Mapping of the interaction sites revealed that the N protein has multiple binding sites in the cytoplasmic tail (CT) of Gn and is also able to bind to the predicted CT of Gc. The importance of Gn- and Gc-CTs to the recognition of RNP was further verified in pull-down assays using soluble peptides with binding capacity to both recombinant N protein and the RNPs of PUUV and Tula virus. Additionally, the N protein of PUUV was demonstrated to interact with peptides of Gn and Gc from a variety of hantavirus species, suggesting a conserved RNP-recognition mechanism within the genus. Based on these and our previous results, we suggest that the complete hetero-oligomeric (Gn-Gc)(4) spike complex of hantaviruses mediates the packaging of RNP into virions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Binding Sites / genetics
  • Chlorocebus aethiops
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleocapsid Proteins / chemistry*
  • Nucleocapsid Proteins / genetics
  • Nucleocapsid Proteins / immunology
  • Orthohantavirus / chemistry*
  • Orthohantavirus / genetics
  • Orthohantavirus / immunology
  • Peptide Mapping
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Puumala virus / chemistry
  • Puumala virus / genetics
  • Puumala virus / immunology
  • Ribonucleoproteins / chemistry
  • Ribonucleoproteins / genetics
  • Ribonucleoproteins / immunology
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Vero Cells
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / chemistry
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology
  • Viral Proteins / chemistry*
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Nucleocapsid Proteins
  • Ribonucleoproteins
  • Viral Envelope Proteins
  • Viral Proteins
  • nucleocapsid protein, Puumala virus