Open AccessNuclear pore protein Nup98 is involved in replication of Rift Valley fever virus and nuclear import of virulence factor NSs
Author(s) -
Simone Lau,
Friedemann Weber
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of general virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1465-2099
pISSN - 0022-1317
DOI - 10.1099/jgv.0.001347
Subject(s) - biology , rift valley fever , virology , transcription factor ii h , viral replication , virulence , transcription (linguistics) , phlebovirus , virus , nuclear transport , nuclear protein , transcription factor , microbiology and biotechnology , cell nucleus , nucleus , bunyaviridae , genetics , gene , gene expression , promoter , linguistics , philosophy
The non-structural protein NSs is the main virulence factor of Rift Valley fever virus, a major zoonotic pathogen in Africa. NSs forms large aggregates in the nucleus and impairs induction of the antiviral type I IFN system by several mechanisms, including degradation of subunit p62 of the general RNA polymerase II transcription factor TFIIH. Here, we show that depletion of the nuclear pore protein Nup98 affects the nuclear import of NSs. Nonetheless, NSs was still able to degrade TFIIH-p62 under these conditions. Depletion of Nup98, however, had a negative effect on Rift Valley fever virus multiplication. Our data thus indicate that NSs utilizes Nup98 for import into the nucleus, but also plays a general role in the viral replication cycle.