Host cell factors involved in the replication of Bunyamwera virus

The Bunyavirales order is made up of nine families containing segmented negative sense ssRNA viruses that are mainly transmitted by arthropods. Members of the order are capable of causing acute and fatal disease in humans, mammals and plants. Due to their segmented genomic nature, reassortment between co-infecting viruses can readily occur, resulting in the emergence of a novel and potentially highly pathogenic virus, such as Schmallenberg virus. The emergence of novel bunyavirus coupled with the increased incidence or re-emergence of previously characterised bunyaviruses is a potential threat to public health and agriculture. There are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics targeted against any bunyaviruses specifically, and it is therefore imperative that such disease prevention strategies are developed. Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) is the prototype virus for the Peribunyaviridae family and is the virus used throughout the present study to investigate the interactions between cellular factors and the viral nucleocapsid (N). The N protein is the most abundant protein expressed by all bunyaviruses and it is critical for the encapsidation of all three RNA segments to form ribonucleoproteins. Mass spectrometry analysis was performed to create a data set of cellular proteins that are potential interaction partners of BUNV N. These interactions were validated using immunological methods in an attempt to provide further understanding of the virus/host interactions for this important group of viruses. It was shown that BUNV N does not interact with actin or ACTN4 throughout the virus life cycle.