Arenavirus nucleocapsid protein displays a transcriptional antiterminationactivity in vivo

RNA polymerase pausing and transcriptional antitermination regulates gene a ctivity in several systems. In arenavirus infected cells the switch from tr anscription to replication is subjected to a hairpin-dependent termination and requires protein synthesis to bypass this signal. The transcriptional a ntitermination control by Junin virus nucleocapsid protein N, has been demo nstrated in vivo by infecting BHK-21 cells expressing this viral protein in the presence of translation inhibitors. This is the first demonstration in vivo of a transcriptional antitermination control in arenavirus-infected c ells. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.