The gene encoding the major nucleocapsid, N, protein of measles virus has been inserted into a baculovirus vector under the control of the polyhedrin promoter. Insect cells infected with this recombinant baculovirus synthesize high levels of measles N protein, up to 40% of total soluble cell protein. The recombinant protein is recognized by sera from convalescent patients, vaccinees and patient...

Semliki Forest virus (SFV) particles are released from infected cells by budding of nucleocapsids through plasma membrane regions that are modified by virus spike proteins. The budding process was studied with recombinant SFV genomes which lacked the nucleocapsid protein gene or, alternatively, the spike genes. No subviral particles were released from cells which expressed only the nucleocapsid...

The matrix (M) protein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) binds the nucleocapsid to the cytoplasmic surface of the host plasma membrane during virus assembly by budding. It also condenses the nucleocapsid into a tightly coiled nucleocapsid-M protein complex that appears to give the virion its bullet-like shape. As described here, temperature-sensitive (ts) M mutants produced two classes of mem...

A new study shows that the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein represses antiviral type I interferon response through direct interaction with signalling adaptor MAVS. Targeting this process might be a useful therapeutic strategy to boost immunity against COVID-19.

Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) was used as an expression vector for the nucleocapsid protein gene of Hantaan virus. Two different cDNA clones representing the small genome segment of Hantaan virus were inserted into the transfer vector pAcYM1, and recombinants were generated by replacement of a portion of the baculovirus polyhedrin gene with the foreign, Hantaan virus...

The nucleocapsid protein of bovine rotavirus was shown to exist in trimeric units in both the virus particle and in infected cells, with the subunits linked by non-covalent interactions. These trimeric units complex further by disulphide bridges into larger units which may represent the hexameric structures observed by electron microscopy. Visualization of various nucleocapsid protein complexes...

Studies on the virus-cell interactions have proven valuable in elucidating vital cellular processes. Interestingly, certain virus-host membrane interactions found in eukaryotic systems seem also to operate in prokaryotes (Bamford, D.H., M. Romantschuk, and P. J. Somerharju, 1987. EMBO (Eur. Mol. Biol. Organ.) J. 6:1467-1473; Romantschuk, M., V.M. Olkkonen, and D.H. Bamford. 1988. EMBO (Eur. Mol...

We report the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV) nucleocapsid protein. The assay was carried out with hyperimmune polyclonal nucleocapsid-specific antibodies from guinea pigs and rabbits immunized with recombinant His(6)-tagged SARS CoV nucleocapsid protein. The assay was used for the detect...

Chick embryo fibroblast cultures infected with Sendai virus were incubated with (3)H-uridine in the presence of actinomycin D beginning at 18 hr after infection. The 35 and 18S virus-specific ribonucleic acid (RNA) components were found in a ribonuclease-sensitive form in the cell and appeared to be associated with polyribosomes. Newly synthesized 57S viral RNA was rapidly coated with protein t...

The specific encapsidation of genomic RNA by an alphavirus requires recognition of the viral RNA by the nucleocapsid protein. In an effort to identify individual residues of the Sindbis virus nucleocapsid protein which are essential for this recognition event, a molecular genetic analysis of a domain of the protein previously suggested to be involved in RNA binding in vitro was undertaken. The ...