5 Key Takeaways

• 1

  Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) is a rare neurotropic virus linked to fatal encephalitis in humans.

• 2

  The virus replicates in the nucleus and can persist in infected cells, complicating detection.

• 3

  Cryo–electron microscopy revealed the structure of the viral nucleoprotein bound to RNA, forming the nucleocapsid.

• 4

  Specific amino acids in the nucleoprotein are essential for RNA binding, crucial for viral replication.

• 5

  The study provides insights into BoDV-1's nucleoprotein–RNA interaction, impacting detection in clinical samples.