The intracellular virus-host interface of henipaviruses

Abstract

The Henipavirus genus comprises five viral species, of which the prototype members, Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV), are reported to infect humans. In humans and other spill-over hosts, HeV/NiV can cause severe respiratory and/or encephalitic disease, with mortality rates exceeding 50%; currently, there are no approved human vaccines and only limited therapeutic options. As members of the family Paramyxoviridae, henipaviruses have six “core” structural proteins and typically three additional accessory proteins that are expressed from the P gene. Several of these proteins are multifunctional, with roles in forming intracellular interfaces with the host (in particular, M, P, V, W, and..