Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

Yoko Fujita-Fujiharu

Ebola and Marburg viruses are both members of the Filoviridae family and are known to cause severe haemorrhagic fevers in humans and non-human primates. We have previously reported nucleoprotein–RNA complex structures of filoviruses using cryo-EM. Although we discovered some essential interactions in the nucleoprotein–RNA complex, it is still unknown how it forms nucleocapsids with other viral proteins and how it functions. This collaborative research aims to elucidate the in situ structure of the Ebola and Marburg virus nucleocapsid. This effort will elucidate the intricate assembly and functional dynamics of nucleocapsid components, including the viral proteins nucleoprotein, VP24, VP35 and genomic RNA, thus laying the groundwork for innovative antiviral drug design.