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

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.