The structural proteins of rabies virus.

The five structural proteins of rabies virus, L, G, N, M1 and M2 have been re-evaluated in light of recent results. It has been found that the M1 protein is associated with the N protein which together with the L protein and the RNA forms the nucleocapsid complex. Only the G and M2 proteins could be visualized on the surface of infected cells. Therefore, it is proposed that the M1 protein be renamed NS analogous to vesicular stomatitis virus and that the M2 protein, being the only membrane protein, now be called simply the M protein.