Interaction between hantaviral nucleocapsid protein and the cytoplasmic tail of surface glycoprotein Gn.

Hantaviral N and Gn proteins were shown to interact, thus providing the long-awaited evidence for one of the crucial steps in the virus replication at which RNPs are directed to the site of the virus assembly. Using pull-down assay and point mutagenesis it was demonstrated that intact, properly folded zinc fingers in the Gn protein cytoplasmic tail as well as the middle domain of the N protein (that includes aa residues 80-248) are essential for the interaction. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.