Nucleocapsid incorporation into parainfluenza virus is regulated by specific interaction with matrix protein

The paramyxovirus nucleoproteins (NPs) encapsidate the genomic RNA into nucleocapsids, which are then incorporated into virus particles. We determined the protein-protein interaction between NP molecules and the molecular mechanism required for incorporating nucleocapsids into virions in two closely related viruses, human parainfluenza virus type 1 (hPIV1) and Sendai virus (SV). Expression of NP from cDNA resulted in in vivo nucleocapsid formation. Electron micrographs showed no significant difference in the morphological appearance of viral nucleocapsids obtained from lysates of transfected cells expressing SV or hPIVI NP cDNA. Coexpression of NP cDNAs from both viruses resulted in the formation of nucleocapsid composed of a mixture of NP molecules; thus, the NPs of both viruses contained regions that allowed the formation of mixed nucleocapsid. Mixed nucleocapsids were also detected in cells infected with SV and transfected with hPIV1 NP cDNA. However, when NP of SV was donated by infected virus and hPIV1 NP was from transfected cDNA, nucleocapsids composed of NPs solely from SV or solely from hPIVI were also detected. Although almost equal amounts of NP of the two viruses were found in the cytoplasm of cells infected with SV and transfected with hPIV1 NP cDNA, 90% of the NPs in the nucleocapsids of the progeny SV virions were from SV. Thus, nucleocapsids containing heterologous hPIV1 NPs were excluded during the assembly of progeny SV virions. Coexpression of hPIV1 NP and hPIV1 matrix protein (M) in SV-infected cells increased the uptake of nucleocapsids containing hPIV1 NP; thus, M appears to be responsible for the specific incorporation of the nucleocapsid into virions. Using SV-hPIV1 chimera NP cDNAs, we found that the C-terminal domain of the NP protein (amino acids 420 to 466) is responsible for the interaction with M.     

Critical Role of the Fusion Protein Cytoplasmic Tail Sequence in Parainfluenza Virus Assembly

Interactions between viral glycoproteins, matrix protein and nucleocapsid sustain assembly of parainfluenza viruses at the plasma membrane. Although the protein interactions required for virion formation are considered to be highly specific, virions lacking envelope glycoprotein(s) can be produced, thus the molecular interactions driving viral assembly and production are still unclear. Sendai virus (SeV) and human parainfluenza virus type 1 (hPIV1) are highly similar in structure, however, the cytoplasmic tail sequences of the envelope glycoproteins (HN and F) are relatively less conserved. To unveil the specific role of the envelope glycoproteins in viral assembly, we created chimeric SeVs whose HN (rSeVhHN) or HN and F (rSeVh(HN+F)) were replaced with those of hPIV1. rSeVhHN grew as efficiently as wt SeV or hPIV1, suggesting that the sequence difference in HN does not have a significant impact on SeV replication and virion production. In sharp contrast, the growth of rSeVh(HN+F) was significantly impaired compared to rSeVhHN. rSeVh(HN+Fstail) which expresses a chimeric hPIV1 F with the SeV cytoplasmic tail sequence grew similar to wt SeV or rSeVhHN. Further analysis indicated that the F cytoplasmic tail plays a critical role in cell surface expression/accumulation of HN and F, as well as NP and M association at the plasma membrane. Trafficking of nucelocapsids in infected cells was not significantly affected by the origin of F, suggesting that F cytoplasmic tail is not involved in intracellular movement. These results demonstrate the role of the F cytoplasmic tail in accumulation of structural components at the plasma membrane assembly sites.     

Nucleotide sequence of the bovine parainfluenza 3 virus genome: the genes of the F and HN glycoproteins.

By analysing complementary DNA clones constructed from genomic RNA of bovine parainfluenza 3 virus (BPIV3), we determined the nucleotide sequence of the region containing the entire F and HN genes. Their deduced amino acid sequences showed about 80% homologies with those of human parainfluenza 3 virus (HPIV3), about 45% with those of Sendai virus, and about 20% with those of SV5 and Newcastle disease virus (NDV), indicating, together with the results described in the preceding paper on the NP, P, C and M proteins of BPIV3, that BPIV3, HPIV3 and Sendai virus constitute a paramyxovirus subgroup, and that BPIV3 and HPIV3 are very closely related. The F and HN proteins of all these viruses, including SV5 and NDV, however, were shown to have protein-specific structures as well as short but well-conserved amino acid sequences, suggesting that these structures and sequences are related to the activities of these glycoproteins.     

Sendai virus M protein binds independently to either the F or the HN glycoprotein in vivo.

We have analyzed the mechanism by which M protein interacts with components of the viral envelope during Sendai virus assembly. Using recombinant vaccinia viruses to selectively express combinations of Sendai virus F, HN, and M proteins, we have successfully reconstituted M protein-glycoprotein interaction in vivo and determined the molecular interactions which are necessary and sufficient to promote M protein-membrane binding. Our results showed that M protein accumulates on cellular membranes via a direct interaction with both F and HN proteins. Specifically, our data demonstrated that a small fraction (8 to 16%) of M protein becomes membrane associated in the absence of Sendai virus glycoproteins, while > 75% becomes membrane bound in the presence of both F and HN proteins. Selective expression of M protein together with either F or HN protein showed that each viral glycoprotein is individually sufficient to promote efficient (56 to 73%) M protein-membrane binding. Finally, we observed that M protein associates with cellular membranes in a time-dependent manner, implying a need for either maturation or transport before binding to glycoproteins.     

Human parainfluenza virus type 3: messenger RNAs, polypeptide coding assignments, intergenic sequences, and genetic map.

cDNA clones of mRNAs for the major nucleocapsid protein (NP), the nucleocapsid P protein plus the nonstructural C protein (P+C), and the matrix protein (M) of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (PF3) were identified by hybrid arrest and hybrid selection of in vitro translation. Previously, cDNA clones were identified and sequenced for the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase glycoprotein (HN) and the fusion glycoprotein (F) mRNAs (N. Elango, J. E. Coligan, R. C. Jambou, and S. Venkatesan, J. Virol. 57:481-489, 1986; M. K. Spriggs, R. A. Olmsted, S. Venkatesan, J. E. Coligan, and P. L. Collins, Virology 152:241-251, 1986). Synthetic oligonucleotides, designed from nucleotide sequences of the cDNAs, were used to direct dideoxynucleotide sequencing of gene junctions in PF3 genomic RNA (vRNA). From sequencing of vRNA, a sixth viral gene was detected and identified as the large nucleocapsid protein (L) gene by hybridization of a synthetic oligonucleotide to intracellular PF3 mRNAs separated by gel electrophoresis. The order of the six PF3 genes on vRNA was 3'-NP-P+C-M-F-HN-L-5'. The five intergenic regions consisted of the trinucleotide 3'-GAA. The PF3 genes initiated with semiconserved 10-nucleotide gene-start sequences and terminated with semiconserved 12-nucleotide gene-end sequences. The M gene terminated with an aberrant gene-end sequence; analysis of intracellular mRNA showed that this aberrant sequence correlated with a disproportionately high accumulation of readthrough mRNA. These studies showed that PF3 encodes six unique mRNAs (NP, P+C, M, F, HN, and L) that encode seven proteins (NP, P, C, M, F, HN, and L) and provided evidence of a close relationship between PF3 and Sendai (murine parainfluenza type 1) viruses.     

Requirements for budding of paramyxovirus simian virus 5 virus-like particles

Enveloped viruses are released from infected cells after coalescence of viral components at cellular membranes and budding of membranes to release particles. For some negative-strand RNA viruses (e.g., vesicular stomatitis virus and Ebola virus), the viral matrix (M) protein contains all of the information needed for budding, since virus-like particles (VLPs) are efficiently released from cells when the M protein is expressed from cDNA. To investigate the requirements for budding of the paramyxovirus simian virus 5 (SV5), its M protein was expressed in mammalian cells, and it was found that SV5 M protein alone could not induce vesicle budding and was not secreted from cells. Coexpression of M protein with the viral hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) or fusion (F) glycoproteins also failed to result in significant VLP release. It was found that M protein in the form of VLPs was only secreted from cells, with an efficiency comparable to authentic virus budding, when M protein was coexpressed with one of the two glycoproteins, HN or F, together with the nucleocapsid (NP) protein. The VLPs appeared similar morphologically to authentic virions by electron microscopy. CsCl density gradient centrifugation indicated that almost all of the NP protein in the cells had assembled into nucleocapsid-like structures. Deletion of the F and HN cytoplasmic tails indicated an important role of these cytoplasmic tails in VLP budding. Furthermore, truncation of the HN cytoplasmic tail was found to be inhibitory toward budding, since it prevented coexpressed wild-type (wt) F protein from directing VLP budding. Conversely, truncation of the F protein cytoplasmic tail was not inhibitory and did not affect the ability of coexpressed wt HN protein to direct the budding of particles. Taken together, these data suggest that multiple viral components, including assembled nucleocapsids, have important roles in the paramyxovirus budding process.     

Homo-oligomerization of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus nucleocapsid protein and the role of disulfide linkages

As a step toward understanding the assembly pathway of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), the oligomeric properties of the nucleocapsid (N) protein were investigated. In this study, we have demonstrated that under nonreducing conditions the N protein forms disulfide-linked homodimers. However, inclusion of an alkylating agent (N-ethylmaleimide [NEM]) prevented disulfide bond formation, suggesting that these intermolecular disulfide linkages were formed as a result of spurious oxidation during cell lysis. In contrast, N protein homodimers isolated from extracellular virions were shown to have formed NEM-resistant intermolecular disulfide linkages, the function of which is probably to impart stability to the virion. Pulse-chase analysis revealed that N protein homodimers become specifically disulfide linked within the virus-infected cell, albeit at the later stages of infection, conceivably when the virus particle buds into the oxidizing environment of the endoplasmic reticulum. Moreover, NEM-resistant disulfide linkages were shown to occur only during productive PRRSV infection, since expression of recombinant N protein did not result in the formation of NEM-resistant disulfide-linked homodimers. Mutational analysis indicated that of the three conserved cysteine residues in the N protein, only the cysteine at position 23 was involved in the formation of disulfide linkages. The N protein dimer was shown to be stable both in the presence and absence of intermolecular disulfide linkages, indicating that noncovalent interactions also play a role in dimerization. Non-disulfide-mediated N protein interactions were subsequently demonstrated both in vitro by the glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay and in vivo by the mammalian two-hybrid assay. Using a series of N protein deletion mutants fused to GST, amino acids 30 to 37 were shown to be essential for N-N interactions. Furthermore, since RNase A treatment markedly decreased N protein-binding affinity, it appears that at least in vitro, RNA may be involved in bridging N-N interactions. In cross-linking experiments, the N protein was shown to assemble into higher-order structures, including dimers, trimers, tetramers, and pentamers. Together, these findings demonstrate that the N protein possesses self-associative properties, and these likely provide the basis for PRRSV nucleocapsid assembly.     

Nucleotide sequence of the bovine parainfluenza 3 virus genome: its 3'' end and the genes of NP, P, C and M proteins.

We present the nucleotide sequence of bovine parainfluenza 3 virus (BPIV3) genome from its 3' end to the opening region of the F gene, through the NP, P plus C, and M genes. Comparison of the sequence with those reported for other paramyxoviruses indicated that BPIV3 was most similar to human parainfluenza 3 virus (HPIV3), and also very similar to Sendai virus in the structural make-up of its genome and the amino acid sequences of its gene products, suggesting that these three viruses constitute a paramyxovirus subgroup from which Newcastle disease and measles viruses are separable. In BPIV3 and Sendai virus, the NP and M proteins, the main structural elements, were more highly conserved than the functionally important P and C proteins. This tendency was also observed even in BPIV3 and HPIV3. Virus-specific amino acid sequences of the NP and M proteins were found at the carboxyl and amino terminal regions, respectively. BPIV3 M mRNA was found to have aberrations in its poly A attachment site.     

副粘病毒Tianjin株NP、P、M及L蛋白的生物信息学分析

为了进一步明确副粘病毒Tianjin株的来源和种系进化地位,探讨其高致病性的机制.对Tianjin株NP、P、M及L蛋白进行了生物信息学分析.进化树显示:Tianjin株属于副粘病毒亚科呼吸道病毒属,且很可能为仙台病毒新的基因型.相似性比较表明,P蛋白变异最大.相似性仅为78.7%～91.9%;L蛋白相似性最高,为96.0%～98.0%.序列比对显示:NP蛋白氨基酸序列中存在15个独特的变异位点,P蛋白存在29个,M蛋白存在6个,L蛋白存在29个.这些独特变异位点的存在很可能是导致Tianjin株在宿主来源和致病特点等方面与已知仙台病毒株具有较大差异的原因.     

Requirements for the assembly and release of Newcastle disease virus-like particles

Paramyxoviruses, such as Newcastle disease virus (NDV), assemble in and bud from plasma membranes of infected cells. To explore the role of each of the NDV structural proteins in virion assembly and release, virus-like particles (VLPs) released from avian cells expressing all possible combinations of the nucleoprotein (NP), membrane or matrix protein (M), an uncleaved fusion protein (F-K115Q), and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein were characterized for densities, protein content, and efficiencies of release. Coexpression of all four proteins resulted in the release of VLPs with densities and efficiencies of release (1.18 to 1.16 g/cm(3) and 83.8% +/- 1.1%, respectively) similar to those of authentic virions. Expression of M protein alone, but not NP, F-K115Q, or HN protein individually, resulted in efficient VLP release, and expression of all different combinations of proteins in the absence of M protein did not result in particle release. Expression of any combination of proteins that included M protein yielded VLPs, although with different densities and efficiencies of release. To address the roles of NP, F, and HN proteins in VLP assembly, the interactions of proteins in VLPs formed with different combinations of viral proteins were characterized by coimmunoprecipitation. The colocalization of M protein with cell surface F and HN proteins in cells expressing all combinations of viral proteins was characterized. Taken together, the results show that M protein is necessary and sufficient for NDV budding. Furthermore, they suggest that M-HN and M-NP interactions are responsible for incorporation of HN and NP proteins into VLPs and that F protein is incorporated indirectly due to interactions with NP and HN protein.     

Nucleocapsid Protein Subunits of Simian Virus 5, Newcastle Disease Virus, and Sendai Virus

Helical nucleocapsids of each of the paramyxoviruses simian virus 5 (SV5), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and Sendai virus have been isolated in two different forms. One form contains larger protein subunits and is obtained from mature virions or infected cells dispersed by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The other form possesses smaller subunits and is obtained from infected cells dispersed by trypsin. The estimated molecular weights of the larger subunits in the three viruses are similar: SV5, 61,000; Sendai virus, 60,000; NDV, 56,000. The smaller nucleocapsid subunits are also very similar: SV5, 43,000; Sendai virus, 46,000; NDV, 47,000. The helical nucleocapsid composed of the smaller subunit appears to be less flexible and more stable than that formed by the larger subunit. There is suggestive evidence that conversion of the larger subunit to the smaller by proteolytic cleavage may occur intracellularly. The possibility that such a mechanism could be involved in the accumulation of nucleocapsid in cells persistently infected with paramyxoviruses is discussed.     

The conserved N-terminal region of Sendai virus nucleocapsid protein NP is required for nucleocapsid assembly.

Sendai virus nucleocapsid protein NP synthesized in the absence of other viral components assembled into nucleocapsid-like particles. They were identical in density and morphology to authentic nucleocapsids but were smaller in size. The reduction in size was probably due to the fact that they contained RNA only 0.5 to 2 kb in length. Nucleocapsid assembly requires NP-NP and NP-RNA interactions. To identify domains on NP protein involved in nucleocapsid formation, 29 NP protein mutants were tested for the ability to assemble. Any deletion between amino acid residues 1 and 399 abolished formation of nucleocapsid-like particles, but mutants within this region exhibited two different phenotypes. Deletions between positions 83 and 384 completely abolished all interactions. Deletions between residues 1 and 82 and between residues 385 and 399, at the N- and C-terminal ends of the region from 1 to 399, resulted in unstructured aggregates of NP protein, indicating only a partial loss of function. Deletions within the C-terminal 124 amino acids were the only ones that did not affect assembly. The results suggest that NP protein can be divided into at least two separate domains which function independently of each other. Domain I (residues 1 to 399) seems to contain all of the structural information necessary for assembly, while domain II (residues 400 to 524) is not involved in nucleocapsid formation.     

Encapsidation of Sendai virus genome RNAs by purified NP protein during in vitro replication.

The ability of the Sendai virus major nucleocapsid protein, NP, to support the in vitro synthesis and encapsidation of viral genome RNA during Sendai virus RNA replication was studied. NP protein was purified from viral nucleocapsids isolated from Sendai virus-infected BHK cells and shown to be a soluble monomer under the reaction conditions used for RNA synthesis. The purified NP protein alone was necessary and sufficient for in vitro genome RNA synthesis and encapsidation from preinitiated intracellular Sendai virus defective interfering particle (DI-H) nucleocapsid templates. The amount of DI-H RNA replication increased linearly with the addition of increasing amounts of NP protein. With purified detergent-disrupted DI-H virions as the template, however, there was no genome RNA synthesis in either the absence or presence of the NP protein. Furthermore, addition of the soluble protein fraction of uninfected cells alone or in the presence of purified NP protein also did not support DI-H genome RNA synthesis from purified DI-H. Another viral component in addition to the NP protein appears to be required for the initiation of encapsidation, since the soluble protein fraction of infected but not uninfected cells did support DI-H genome replication from purified DI-H.     

Long-term replication of Sendai virus defective interfering particle nucleocapsids in stable helper cell lines.

An essential prerequisite for generating a stable helper cell line, which constitutively expresses functional Sendai virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, is the expression of all three Sendai virus nucleocapsid (NC) proteins, NP, P, and L, simulataneously. Generating a stable helper cell line was accomplished by cotransfecting cell line 293 with all three corresponding viral genes under the control of cytomegalovirus promoter-enhancer elements. Cotransfection with a dominant selectable marker enabled selection for stably transfected cells. The levels of the expressed P and NP proteins reached up to 1/10th and 1/20th of the protein levels in Sendai virus-infected cells, respectively. The Sendai virus polymerase activity of the coexpressed proteins was demonstrated by an in vivo polymerase assay. The cell clone H29 gave the strongest signal and produced DI genomes continuously for at least 3 months. This result demonstrates that it is possible to stably express adequate levels of all three viral NC proteins to form Sendai virus polymerase activity, thereby performing the replication and encapsidation of viral RNA, essential prerequisites for a helper cell line to be competent in producing recombinant viruses.     

The C-terminal end of parainfluenza virus 5 NP protein is important for virus-like particle production and M-NP protein interaction

Enveloped virus particles are formed by budding from infected-cell membranes. For paramyxoviruses, viral matrix (M) proteins are key drivers of virus assembly and budding. However, other paramyxovirus proteins, including glycoproteins, nucleocapsid (NP or N) proteins, and C proteins, are also important for particle formation in some cases. To investigate the role of NP protein in parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) particle formation, NP protein truncation and substitution mutants were analyzed. Alterations near the C-terminal end of NP protein completely disrupted its virus-like particle (VLP) production function and significantly impaired M-NP protein interaction. Recombinant viruses with altered NP proteins were generated, and these viruses acquired second-site mutations. Recombinant viruses propagated in Vero cells acquired mutations that mainly affected components of the viral polymerase, while recombinant viruses propagated in MDBK cells acquired mutations that mainly affected the viral M protein. Two of the Vero-propagated viruses acquired the same mutation, V/P(S157F), found previously to be responsible for elevated viral gene expression induced by a well-characterized variant of PIV5, P/V-CPI(-). Vero-propagated viruses caused elevated viral protein synthesis and spread rapidly through infected monolayers by direct cell-cell fusion, bypassing the need to bud infectious virions. Both Vero- and MDBK-propagated viruses exhibited infectivity defects and altered polypeptide composition, consistent with poor incorporation of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) into budding virions. Second-site mutations affecting M protein restored interaction with altered NP proteins in some cases and improved VLP production. These results suggest that multiple avenues are available to paramyxoviruses for overcoming defects in M-NP protein interaction.     

Inhibition of influenza M2-induced cell death alleviates its negative contribution to vaccination efficiency

The effectiveness of recombinant vaccines encoding full-length M2 protein of influenza virus or its ectodomain (M2e) have previously been tested in a number of models with varying degrees of success. Recently, we reported a strong cytotoxic effect exhibited by M2 on mammalian cells in vitro. Here we demonstrated a decrease in protection when M2 was added to a DNA vaccination regimen that included influenza NP. Furthermore, we have constructed several fusion proteins of conserved genes of influenza virus and tested their expression in vitro and protective potential in vivo. The four-partite NP-M1-M2-NS1 fusion antigen that has M2 sequence engineered in the middle part of the composite protein was shown to not be cytotoxic in vitro. A three-partite fusion protein (consisting of NP, M1 and NS1) was expressed much more efficiently than the four-partite protein. Both of these constructs provided statistically significant protection upon DNA vaccination, with construct NP-M1-M2-NS1 being the most effective. We conclude that incorporation of M2 into a vaccination regimen may be beneficial only when its apparent cytotoxicity-linked negative effects are neutralized. The possible significance of this data for influenza vaccination regimens and preparations is discussed.     

Mutation of the TYTLE Motif in the Cytoplasmic Tail of the Sendai Virus Fusion Protein Deeply Affects Viral Assembly and Particle Production

Enveloped viruses contain glycoproteins protruding from the viral membrane. These proteins play a crucial role in the extra-cellular steps of the virus life cycle, namely attachment to and entry into cells. Their role during the intracellular late phase of virus multiplication has been less appreciated, overlooked by the documented central organizer role of the matrix M protein. Sendai virus, a member of the Paramyxoviridae family, expresses two trans-membrane proteins on its surface, HN and F. In previous work, we have shown that suppression of F in the context of an infection, results in about 70% reduction of virus particle production, a reduction similar to that observed upon suppression of the matrix M protein. Moreover, a TYTLE motif present in F cytoplasmic tail has been proposed essential for virus particle production. In the present work, using original alternate conditional siRNA suppression systems, we generated a double F gene recombinant Sendai virus expressing wt-F and a nonviable mutated TYTLE/5A F protein (F_5A). Suppression of the wild type F gene expression in cells infected with this virus allowed the analysis of F_5A properties in the context of the infection. Coupling confocal imaging analysis to biochemical characterization, we found that F_5A i) was not expressed at the cell surface but restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum, ii) was still capable of interaction with M and iii) had profound effect on M and HN cellular distribution. On the basis of these data, we propose a model for SeV particle formation based on an M/F complex that would serve as nucleation site for virus particle assembly at the cell surface.     

Design and analysis of post-fusion 6-helix bundle of heptad repeat regions from Newcastle disease virus F protein

Fusion of paramyxovirus to the cell involves receptor binding of the HN glycoprotein and a number of conformational changes of F glycoprotein. The F protein is expressed as a homotrimer on the virus surface. In the present model, there are at least three conformations of F protein, i.e. native form, pre-hairpin intermediate and the post-fusion state. In the post-fusion state, the two highly conserved heptad repeat (HR) regions of F protein form a stable 6-helix coiled-coil bundle. However, no crystal structure is known for this state for the Newcastle disease virus, although the crystal structure of the F protein native form has been solved recently. Here we deployed an Escherichia coli in vitro expression system to engineer this 6-helix bundle by fusion of either the two HR regions (HR1, linker and HR2) or linking the 6-helix [3 x (HR1, linker and HR2)] together as a single chain. Subsequently, both of them form a stable 6-helix bundle in vitro judging by gel filtration and chemical cross-linking and the proteins show salient features of an alpha-helix structure. Crystals diffracting X-rays have been obtained from both protein preparations and the structure determination is under way. This method could be used for crystallization of the post-fusion state HR structures of other viruses.     

Cytoplasmic Domain of Sendai Virus HN Protein Contains a Specific Sequence Required for Its Incorporation into Virions

In the assembly of paramyxoviruses, interactions between viral proteins are presumed to be specific. The focus of this study is to elucidate the protein-protein interactions during the final stage of viral assembly that result in the incorporation of the viral envelope proteins into virions. To this end, we examined the specificity of HN incorporation into progeny virions by transiently transfecting HN cDNA genes into Sendai virus (SV)-infected cells. SV HN expressed from cDNA was efficiently incorporated into progeny Sendai virions, whereas Newcastle disease virus (NDV) HN was not. This observation supports the theory of a selective mechanism for HN incorporation. To identify the region on HN responsible for the selective incorporation, we constructed chimeric SV and NDV HN cDNAs and evaluated the incorporation of expressed proteins into progeny virions. Chimera HN that contained the SV cytoplasmic domain fused to the transmembrane and external domains of the NDV HN was incorporated to SV particles, indicating that amino acids in the cytoplasmic domain are responsible for the observed specificity. Additional experiments using the chimeric HNs showed that 14 N-terminal amino acids are sufficient for the specificity. Further analysis identified five consecutive amino acids (residues 10 to 14) that were required for the specific incorporation of HN into SV. These residues are conserved among all strains of SV as well as those of its counterpart, human parainfluenza virus type 1. These results suggest that this region near the N terminus of HN interacts with another viral protein(s) to lead to the specific incorporation of HN into progeny virions.