Filovirus helical nucleocapsid structures

Abstract

Filoviruses are filamentous enveloped viruses belonging to the family Filoviridae, in the order Mononegavirales. Some filovirus members, such as Ebola virus and Marburg virus, cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and non-human primates. The filovirus ribonucleoprotein complex, called the nucleocapsid, forms a double-layered helical structure in which a non-segmented, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genome is encapsidated by the nucleoprotein (NP), viral protein 35 (VP35), VP24, VP30 and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L). The inner layer consists of the helical NP-RNA complex, acting as a scaffold for the binding of VP35 and VP24 that constitute the outer layer. Recent structural studies using cryo-electron microscopy have advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanism of filovirus nucleocapsid formation. Here, we review the key characteristics of the Ebola virus and Marburg virus nucleocapsid structures, highlighting the similarities and differences between the two viruses. In particular, we focus on the structure of the helical NP-RNA complex, the RNA binding mechanism and the NP-NP interactions in the helix. The structural analyses reveal a possible mechanism of nucleocapsid assembly and provide potential targets for the anti-filovirus drug design.

Keywords: cryo-electron microscopy; filovirus; nucleocapsid; single-particle analysis.