Cryo‐EM structure of the Ebola virus nucleoprotein–RNA complex

• Published in: Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology communications Vol. 75; no. 5; pp. 340 - 347
• Main Authors: Kirchdoerfer, Robert N., Saphire, Erica Ollmann, Ward, Andrew B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 5 Abbey Square, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2HU, England International Union of Crystallography 01.05.2019; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Binding Sites; Cloning, Molecular; Cryoelectron Microscopy; cryo‐electron microscopy; Ebola virus; Ebolavirus; Ebolavirus - chemistry; Electron microscopy; Filaments; Gene Expression; Genetic Vectors - chemistry; Genetic Vectors - metabolism; Genomes; HEK293 Cells; helix; Humans; Models, Molecular; Nucleic Acid Conformation; Nucleocapsid - chemistry; Nucleocapsid - ultrastructure; Nucleocapsids; nucleoprotein; Nucleoproteins - chemistry; Nucleoproteins - genetics; Nucleoproteins - metabolism; Packaging; Protein Binding; Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical; Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; Proteins; Recombinant Proteins - chemistry; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Research Communications; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA viruses; RNA, Viral - chemistry; RNA, Viral - genetics; RNA, Viral - metabolism; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Transcription; Viral diseases; Viral Proteins - chemistry; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - metabolism; Ebola virus; nucleoprotein; NP; helix; cryo-electron microscopy
• DOI: 10.1107/S2053230X19004424
• ISSN: 2053-230X

Ebola virus is an emerging virus that is capable of causing a deadly disease in humans. Replication, transcription and packaging of the viral genome are carried out by the viral nucleocapsid. The nucleocapsid is a complex of the viral nucleoprotein, RNA and several other viral proteins. The nucleoprotein forms large, RNA‐bound, helical filaments and acts as a scaffold for additional viral proteins. The 3.1 Å resolution single‐particle cryo‐electron microscopy structure of the nucleoprotein–RNA helical filament presented here resembles previous structures determined at lower resolution, while providing improved molecular details of protein–protein and protein–RNA interactions. The higher resolution of the structure presented here will facilitate the design and characterization of novel and specific Ebola virus therapeutics targeting the nucleocapsid. The 3.1 Å resolution single‐particle cryo‐electron microscopy structure of the RNA‐bound Ebola virus nucleoprotein helical filament provides molecular details of protein–protein and protein–RNA interactions.