Chimeric pneumovirus nucleocapsid (N) proteins allow identification of amino acids essential for the function of the respiratory syncytial virus N protein Stokes, H. L. and Easton, A. J. and Marriott, A. C.,, 84, 2679-2683 (2003), doi = https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.19370-0, publicationName = Microbiology Society, issn = 0022-1317, abstract= The nucleocapsid (N) protein of the pneumovirus respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major structural protein which encapsidates the RNA genome and is essential for replication and transcription of the RSV genome. The N protein of the related virus pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) is functionally unable to replace the RSV N protein in a minigenome replication assay. Using chimeric proteins, in which the immediate C-terminal part of the RSV N protein was replaced with the equivalent region of the PVM N protein, it was shown that six amino acid residues near the C terminus of the N protein (between residues 352–369) are essential for its function in replication and for the ability of the N protein to bind to the viral phosphoprotein, P., language=, type=