Inhibition of measles virus minireplicon-encoded reporter gene expression by V protein

Measles virus V protein is a Cys-rich polypeptide that is dispensable for virus propagation in continuous cell lines, but necessary for efficient viral replication in animals. Those functions modulating virus propagation in vivo are not understood completely, although V protein is known to interfere with the host interferon response and control of viral gene expression. The ability to modulate gene expression was investigated further with a minireplicon transient expression system in which V protein was found to repress reporter activity. Two regions of the polypeptide contributed to this repressive effect including the carboxy-terminus and a region conserved in morbillivirus V proteins located between amino acids 110–131, whereas domains known to mediate the interaction between V and the nucleocapsid (N) protein were not essential. Accumulation of encapsidated minigenome in transfected cells was inhibited by V protein suggesting that it acted as a repressor of genome replication thereby limiting availability of template for reporter gene mRNA transcription.