Structure of the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus N0-P Complex
Figure 7
Schematic representations of the mechanism of RNA replication of VSV.
The nucleoprotein (in green) forms with the RNA genome (blue line) the active template for the polymerase complex comprising the L (in yellow) and P (in red) proteins. (A) Encapsidation during RNA replication. During replication, the newly synthesized antigenomic or genomic RNA is encapsidated by nascent N molecules that are transferred from the soluble N0-P complex. In the N0-P complex, the N-terminal MoRE of P prevents host-cell RNA binding by obstructing the RNA binding groove and the self-assembly of N by interfering with the docking of the NNT-arm of another N. Upon the transfer of N to the growing viral RNA P is released, the binding groove for the NNT-arm is freed in the RNA-bound form and can accept the next incoming N molecule. (B) Initiation of RNA synthesis. By binding at the 3′ extremity of the nucleocapsid, the N-terminal MoRE of P might displace nucleotides from the N molecule and allow the polymerase to initiate RNA synthesis.