The association of ribosomal protein L18 with Newcastle disease virus matrix protein enhances viral translation and replication.

Numerous studies have shown that viruses can utilize or manipulate ribosomal proteins to achieve viral protein biosynthesis and replication. In our recent studies using proteomics analysis of virus-infected cells, we found that ribosomal protein L18 (RPL18) was the highest up-regulated differentially expressed protein, along with the increasingly expressed viral proteins later in Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection. However, the association of RPL18 with viral protein biosynthesis and NDV replication remains unclear. In this study, we found that the expression and transcription levels of RPL18 was reduced early in NDV infection but increased later in NDV infection. In addition, the presence of cytoplasmic NDV matrix (M) protein was responsible for the increased expression of RPL18 in both virus-infected cells and plasmid-transfected cells. Moreover, cytoplasmic M protein increased RPL18 expression in a dose-dependent manner, even though they did not interact with each other. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of RPL18 or overexpression of RPL18 dramatically reduced or enhanced NDV replication by decreasing or increasing viral protein translation rather than viral RNA synthesis and transcription. Taken together, these results suggested that the increased expression of RPL18 might be associated with the physical clumping together of the M protein, which in turn promoted viral protein biosynthesis and NDV replication. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSThe increased expression of RPL18 is associated with the presence of cytoplasmic M protein.Cytoplasmic M protein increases RPL18 expression in a dose-dependent manner.Knockdown of RPL18 reduces NDV replication by decreasing viral protein translation.Overexpression of RPL18 enhances NDV replication by increasing viral protein translation.