Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Discovered in 2001, HMPV is in the Pneumoviridae family along with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Broader use of molecular diagnostic testing has increased identification and awareness of HMPV as an important cause of upper and lower respiratory infection. ymptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. Clinical symptoms of HMPV infection may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia and are similar to other viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory infections. The estimated incubation period is 3 to 6 days, and the median duration of illness can vary depending upon severity but is similar to other respiratory infections caused by viruses. During replication and transcription, the L/P complex traverses the viral RNA genome, which is encapsidated within nucleoproteins (N). An essential interaction between N and a C-terminal region of P tethers the L/P polymerase to the template. This N-P interaction is also involved in the formation of cytoplasmic viral factories in infected cells, called inclusion bodies. Here you can see a recent cryoEM structure of the spiral of assembled human metapneumovirus (HMPV) N-RNA (PDB code: 8PDN)

#molecularart ... #virus ... #metapneumovirus ... #RNA ... #assembly ... #complex ... #RNA

Structure rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint