Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) Gag polyprotein is an integral step in virus particle assembly. A nuclear export signal (NES) was previously identified within the p10 domain of RSV Gag. Gag mutants containing deletions of the p10 NES or mutations of critical hydrophobic residues at positions 219, 222, 225, or 229 become trapped within the nucleus and exhibit defects in the efficiency of virus particle release. To investigate other potential roles for Gag nuclear trafficking in RSV replication, we created viruses bearing NES mutant Gag proteins. Viruses carrying p10 mutations produced low levels of particles, as anticipated, and those particles that were released were noninfectious. The p10 mutant viruses contained approximately normal amounts of Gag, Gag-Pol, and Env proteins and genomic viral RNA (vRNA), but several major structural defects were found. Thin-section transmission electron microscopy revealed that the mature particles appeared misshapen, while the viral cores were cylindrical, horseshoe-shaped, or fragmented, with some particles containing multiple small, electron-dense aggregates. Immature virus-like particles produced by the expression of Gag proteins bearing p10 mutations were also aberrant, with both spherical and tubular filamentous particles produced. Interestingly, the secondary structure of the encapsidated vRNA was altered; although dimeric vRNA was predominant, there was an additional high-molecular-weight fraction. Together, these results indicate that the p10 NES domain of Gag is critical for virus replication and that it plays overlapping roles required for the nuclear shuttling of Gag and for the maintenance of proper virion core morphology.Retroviral assembly is directed by the viral Gag polyprotein precursor. Despite containing very little sequence homology, all Gag proteins share three canonical domains, the MA (matrix), CA (capsid), and NC (nucleocapsid) domains, as well as additional regions that vary for each retrovirus. Immature virus particles contain unprocessed Gag and Gag-Pol fusion proteins arranged in a concentric array just inside the viral envelope, with the NC domain of Gag toward the center, bound to the dimeric, positive-sense viral RNA (vRNA) genome (4, 18, 51). The cleavage of Gag during the maturation process occurs during or immediately after budding, leading to a dramatic change in morphology, with the appearance of an electrondense core near the particle center. This dense core is comprised of vRNA coated by the NC protein, together forming the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. The RNP is enclosed by a shell composed of CA multimers forming the virion core, which is in turn surrounded by the MA protein in association with the lipid envelope (reviewed in references 45 and 46). The molecular events that govern RNP and core formation during virus assembly and maturation are still not well understood.Functional mapping of the Gag polyprotein identified three discrete motifs, known as assembly domains, that coordinate virion formation and...