English: Schematic presentation of the rift valley fever virus (RVFV) replication cycle. 1) Upon virion attachment, the particles are endocytosed by clathrin-dependent (a) or independent (b) endocytosis. After acidification of the endosome, Gn and Gc undergo conformational changes resulting in fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes and subsequent release of the RNPs into the cytosol. Near the fusion site, the RNPs are used as templates for transcription and replication (5,6). L and S segment-encoded mRNAs are translated by free ribosomes whereas M segment encoded mRNA is translated by membrane bound ribosomes at the ER. Newly formed RNPs (4–6 hpi) migrate to random sites in the cytoplasm initiating additional rounds of replication followed by glycoprotein mediated recruitment to the Golgi (7). Glycoprotein heterodimers or higher-order glycoprotein structures are expected to bind RNPs via interaction of the N protein with the cytoplasmic tail of Gn. Finally, RNPs accumulate at the Golgi and virions are formed by budding into the Golgi lumen (8). Mature virus particles, containing zero to three, or perhaps even more genome segments, are released from the cell via exocytosis (9).