Disease relevance of nucleocapsid protein

• Homotypic interaction and multimerization of nucleocapsid protein of tomato spotted wilt tospovirus: identification and characterization of two interacting domains [1].
• The hantavirus nucleocapsid protein (N protein), which is encoded by the smallest of the three negative-sense genomic RNA segments, undergoes in vivo and in vitro trimerization [2].
• The TSWV nucleocapsid protein and human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B did not bind to thrips midguts, indicating that the G(N)-S-thrips midgut interaction is specific [3].
• The insert contained in plasmid pTSW1 was repaired and amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and the complete nucleocapsid protein gene was introduced into Nicotiana tabacum 'Samsun' by leaf disk transformation using Agrobacterium tumefaciens [4].
• Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) virions consist of a nucleocapsid core surrounded by a membrane containing glycoproteins Gn and Gc [5].

High impact information on nucleocapsid protein

• The nucleocapsid protein (N) of tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) plays a central role in the viral life cycle [1].
• Transgenic plants expressing half-gene segments (387-453 bp) of the N gene displayed resistance through post-transcriptional gene silencing [6].
• These results demonstrate that (i) a critical length of N transgene (236-387 bp) is required for a high level of transgene expression and consequent gene silencing, and (ii) the post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanism can trans-inactivate the incoming tospovirus genome with homologous transgene segments that are as short as 110 bp [6].
• Trimeric hantavirus N protein specifically recognizes the panhandle structure formed by complementary base sequence of 5' and 3' ends of viral genomic RNA [2].
• A number of transgenic plants expressing the transgene with GFP fused to N gene segments from 110 to 453 bp in size were resistant to these viruses [7].

Biological context of nucleocapsid protein

• The sequence contains two open reading frames (ORFs), one in the viral sense which encodes a protein with a predicted Mr of 52.4K and one in the viral complementary sense which encodes the viral nucleocapsid protein of Mr 28.8K [8].
• In vitro gene expression strategy was used for the production of polyclonal antiserum to the nucleocapsid protein (NP) of Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) [9].
• A recombinant plasmid containing the entire tomato spotted with virus (TSWV) nucleocapsid gene, with the exception of nucleotide encoding three N-terminal amino acids, was isolated by screening a complementary DNA library, prepared against random primed viral RNA, using a specific monoclonal antibody [4].
• The GBNV NP gene from cowpea isolate was cloned into 6x His-tagged UA cloning vector and expressed in Escherichia coli [M15] cells [9].
• In sensitised emission experiments, energy transfer was observed to take place from CFP to YFP when the two fluorophores were fused to TSWV N protein, indicating strongly homotypic interaction of the N proteins [10].

Anatomical context of nucleocapsid protein

• Furthermore, immunogold labeling of tissue sections of TSWV-infected N. rustica plants showed that this protein was found associated with nucleocapsid aggregates in the cytoplasm and in close association with plasmodesmata [11].
• The accumulation of large amounts of N and NSs protein, the occurrence of several vesicles with virus particles in the salivary glands and the massive numbers of virus particles in the salivary gland ducts demonstrate that the salivary glands are a major site of TSWV replication [12].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of nucleocapsid protein

• Using polyclonal antibodies against the viral nucleocapsid protein (N) and indirect immunofluorescent staining, discrete spots with strong signals were observed in the cytoplasm at 48 h post-inoculation in the cell cultures of a F. occidentalis, and a T. tabaci population which failed to transmit the virus [13].
• Immunodiagnosis of groundnut and watermelon bud necrosis viruses using polyclonal antiserum to recombinant nucleocapsid protein of Groundnut bud necrosis virus [9].
• Twenty tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) isolates were serologically compared in ELISA employing five different procedures using a rabbit polyclonal antiserum against nucleocapsid proteins (NuAbR) and mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), two directed to nucleocapsid proteins (N1 and N2) and four directed to glycoproteins G1 to G4 [14].
• Full-length N, N amino and carboxy halves, and two N carboxy-terminal regions were expressed and isolated by metal chelate affinity chromatography [15].
• Average values between 1300 and 2200 nm of nucleocapsid lengths could be related to dimensions estimated by electron microscopy, thereby validating a filamentous configuration of the TSWV ribonucleoproteins [16].

References