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A Structural View of Negative-Sense RNA Virus Nucleocapsid Protein and Its Functions Beyond

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Book cover Virus Protein and Nucleoprotein Complexes

Part of the book series: Subcellular Biochemistry ((SCBI,volume 88))

Abstract

Negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus (NSRV) is featured by their ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex composed by viral polymerase and genomic RNA enwrapped by nucleocapsid protein (NP). The RNP is packaged in virions and plays a central role throughout virus lifecycle. In the past decade, structural biology presents molecular insights into NPs encoded by most representative NSRVs, helping to understand the mechanism of RNP formation. Interestingly, works initiated from structural biology also reveal unexpected biological functions of virus NP beyond a structural protein. All these further the knowledge of virus NP and provide great potential for the discovery of antiviral agents to target virus RNP formation. In this chapter, we will summarize the structures and functions of viral NPs, as well as the attempt of NP-targeted antiviral development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Science, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Zhiyong Lou

  2. Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Zhiyong Lou

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  1. Zhiyong Lou
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Correspondence to Zhiyong Lou .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany

    J. Robin Harris

  2. MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK

    David Bhella

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Lou, Z. (2018). A Structural View of Negative-Sense RNA Virus Nucleocapsid Protein and Its Functions Beyond. In: Harris, J., Bhella, D. (eds) Virus Protein and Nucleoprotein Complexes. Subcellular Biochemistry, vol 88. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8456-0_2

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