IN-VIVO INTERACTION OF RABIES VIRUS PHOSPHOPROTEIN (P) AND NUCLEOPROTEIN (N) - EXISTENCE OF 2 N-BINDING SITES ON P-PROTEIN

The rabies virus phosphoprotein (P) and nucleoprotein (N) are involved in transcription and replication of the viral genome. Interaction bet ween N and P was studied in vivo in transfected cells expressing both proteins. Coimmunoprecipitation assays revealed that the N-P complex i s present in cells expressing both proteins as well as in infected cel ls. Furthermore, immunostaining showed that coexpression of N and P wa s sufficient to induce the formation of cytoplasmic inclusions similar to those found in infected cells. In addition, deletion mutant analys is of P was performed to identify the regions of P interacting with N. The results indicate that at least two independent N-binding sites ex ist on P protein: one is located in the carboxy-terminal part of the p rotein and another between amino acids 69 and 177. The formation of cy toplasmic inclusions seems to require the presence of both N-binding s ites on P protein.