| Summary: | Human parainfluenza virus type 3 is one of the main causes of lower respiratory illness in newborns and infants. The role of the matrix protein (M) in viral budding is extensively studied, but the effect of M on viral replication remains to be determined. Using an HPIV3 minigenome assay, we found that M reduced HPIV3 mingenome-encoded reporter activity even though it had an unspecific effect on the expression of cellular genes. Furthermore, the inhibition effect of M on viral RNA synthesis was proven to be independent of its virus-like particles (VLPs)’ release ability. A VLP’s defective mutant (ML302A) decreased the expression of minigenome reporter as wild type M did. Using an immunofluorescence assay, we found that M weakened the formation of inclusion bodies (IBs), although it did not co-localize with the IBs. Moreover, using another mutant, ML305A , which is defective in M-nucleoprotein (N) interaction, we found that ML305A had no effect on reporter activity and IB formation as the wild type of M did. Taken together, we conclude that M reduces the replication of HPIV3 and IB formation by M–N interaction.
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