A three-way interface of the Nipah virus phosphoprotein X-domain coordinates polymerase movement along the viral genome.

Abstract

Mononegaviruses comprise major human pathogens such as the Ebola virus, rabies virus, respiratory syncytial virus, measles virus, and Nipah virus (NiV). For replication and transcription, their polymerase complexes must negotiate a protein-encapsidated RNA genome, which requires the highly coordinated continuous formation and resolution of protein-protein interfaces as the polymerase advances along the template. The viral P protein assumes a central role in this process, but the molecular mechanism of ensuring polymerase mobility is poorly understood. Studying NiV polymerase complexes, we applied functional and biochemical assays to map three distinct interfaces in the NiV P XD and identified transient interactions between XD and the nucleocapsid core as instrumental in coordinating polymerase advance. These results define a conserved molecular principle regulating paramyxovirus polymerase dynamics and illuminate a promising druggable target for the structure-guided development of broad-spectrum polymerase inhibitors.