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J. Virol. doi:10.1128/JVI.00526-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

The 24Å structure of Respiratory Syncytial Virus N-RNA decameric rings

Medical Research Council Virology Unit, Institute of Virology, Church Street, Glasgow, G11 5JR, UK

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: d.bhella{at}mrcvu.gla.ac.uk.

	Abstract

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a non-segmented, negative-sense RNA containing virus is a common cause of lower respiratory-tract disease. Expression of RSV nucleocapsid protein (N) in insect cells using the baculovirus expression system leads to the formation of N-RNA complexes that are morphologically indistinguishable from viral nucleocapsids. When imaged in the electron microscope, three distinct types of structure were observed: tightly wound, short-pitch helices, highly extended helices and rings. Negative stain images of N-RNA rings were used to calculate a three-dimensional reconstruction at 24 Å resolution revealing features similar to those observed in nucleocapsids from other viruses of the order Mononegavirales. The reconstructed N-RNA rings comprise 10 N monomers and have an external radius of 83 Å and an internal radius of 40 Å. Comparison of this structure with crystallographic data from rabies and vesicular stomatitis viruses N-RNA rings reveals striking morphological similarities.