@article{mbs:/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.2008/004044-0, author = "Alminaite, Agne and Backström, Vera and Vaheri, Antti and Plyusnin, Alexander", title = "Oligomerization of hantaviral nucleocapsid protein: charged residues in the N-terminal coiled-coil domain contribute to intermolecular interactions", journal= "Journal of General Virology", year = "2008", volume = "89", number = "9", pages = "2167-2174", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.2008/004044-0", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.2008/004044-0", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2099", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "The nucleocapsid (N) protein of hantaviruses (family Bunyaviridae) is the most abundant component of the virion; it encapsidates genomic RNA segments and participates in viral genome transcription and replication, as well as in virus assembly. During RNA encapsidation, the N protein forms intermediate trimers and then oligomers via ‘head-to-head, tail-to-tail’ interactions. In previous work, using Tula hantavirus (TULV) N protein as a model, it was demonstrated that an intact coiled-coil structure of the N terminus is crucial for the oligomerization capacity of the N protein and that the hydrophobic ‘a’ residues from the second α-helix are especially important. Here, the importance of charged amino acid residues located within the coiled-coil for trimer formation and oligomerization was analysed. To predict the interacting surfaces of the monomers, the previous in silico model of TULV coiled-coils was first upgraded, taking advantage of the recently published crystal structure of the N-terminal coiled-coil of the Sin Nombre virus N protein. The results obtained using a mammalian two-hybrid assay suggested that conserved, charged amino acid residues within the coiled-coil make a substantial contribution to N protein oligomerization. This contribution probably involves (i) the formation of interacting surfaces of the N monomers (residues D35 and D38, located at the tip of the coiled-coil loop, and R63 appear particularly important) and (ii) stabilization of the coiled-coil via intramolecular ionic bridging (with E55 as a key player). It is hypothesized that the tips of the coiled-coils are the first to come into direct contact and thus to initiate tight packing of the three structures.", }