Efficient Interaction between Arenavirus Nucleoprotein (NP) and RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (L) Is Mediated by the Virus Nucleocapsid (NP-RNA) Template

In this study, we document that efficient interaction between arenavirus nucleoprotein (NP) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L protein), the two trans -acting viral factors required for both virus RNA replication and gene transcription, requires the presence of virus-specific RNA sequences located within the untranslated 5′ and 3′ termini of the viral genome.