Nucleocapsid Protein of Hantaviruses (Bunyaviridae): Structure and Functions - Structure-Based Study of Viral Replication - page 553

Chapter 21
Nucleocapsid Protein of Hantaviruses
( Bunyaviridae ): Structure and Functions
Alexander Plyusnin * , Vibhor Kumar † , Olli Vapalahti ‡ ,
Peter Engelhardt §
Hantaviral N protein is a typical nucleocapsid protein of a negative-strand
virus. It is a multifunctional molecule that plays an important role in the viral
RNA encapsidation and replication, and also in the virus assembly. In this
chapter we review the current knowledge on hantaviral N protein structure
and functions. We also present new data on a 3D structure of the hantaviral
N-ptotein trimer and discuss its possible role in the viral replication cycle.
Finally, we describe the structure of the N protein oligomers and polymers.
Introduction
Hantaviruses (genus Hantavirus , family Bunyaviridae ) are negative-
strand RNA viruses (NSRV) with a tripartate genome, each carried by
*Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21
(Haartmaninkatu 3), FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland; E-mail: [e-mail]
† Laboratory of Computational Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 9203
(Innopolis 2, Tekniikantie 14), FI-02015 Espoo, Finland; E-mail: [e-mail]
‡ Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21 (Haartmaninkatu
3), and Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine P.O. Box 66 FIN-
00014, University of Helsinki and HUSLAB, Helsinki, Finland; [e-mail]
§ Laboratory of Computational Engineering, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 9203
(Innopolis 2, Tekniikantie 14), FI-02015 Espoo, Finland; and Department of Pathology and
Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21 (Haartmaninkatu 3), FI-00014
Helsinki; peter.engelhardt@helsinki.f i
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