It has been reported that mumps virus protein V or the C-terminal Cys-rich region of protein V (Vsp) is associated with blocking of the interferon (IFN) signal transduction pathway through a decrease in STAT-1 production. The intracellular target of the V protein was investigated by using a two-hybrid screening system with Vsp as bait. Full-length V protein and Vsp were able to bind to RACK1, and the interaction did not require two WD domains, WD1 and WD2, in RACK1. A significant interaction between V protein and RACK1 was also demonstrated in cells persistently infected with mumps virus (FLMT cells), and the formation of the complex was not affected by treatment with IFN. On the other hand, in uninfected cells, STAT-1 was associated with the long form of the  subunit of the alpha IFN receptor, and this association was mediated by the function of RACK1 as an adaptor protein. Immunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase pull-down experiments revealed that the association of RACK1 or mumps virus V protein with the IFN receptor was undetectable in mumps virus-infected cells. Furthermore, RACK1 interacted with mumps virus V protein with a higher affinity than STAT-1 did. Therefore, it is suggested that mumps virus V protein has the ability to interact strongly with RACK1 and consequently to bring about the disruption of the complex formed from STAT-1, RACK1, and the IFN receptor.Many functions of interferon (IFN) are induced by activation of the JAK (Janus protein kinase)/STAT (proteins in the family of signal tranducers and activators of transcription) signaling pathway. In the alpha IFN (IFN-␣) signaling pathway, STAT-2 and STAT-1␣ are phosphorylated by IFN-␣ to form the IFN-stimulated gene factor 3 complex through activation of the tyrosine kinases Jak-1 and Tyk-2. The IFN-stimulated gene factor 3 complex formed from the STAT-1␣, STAT-2, and IFN regulatory factor-9 (IRF-9) components strongly binds to the consensus sequence of the IFN-␣-stimulated response element in the promoter region of the IFN-stimulated gene. Gamma interferon (IFN-␥) mediates the phosphorylation of STAT-1␣ to form a homodimer, the IFN-␥-activated factor complex, through the activation of Jak-1 and Jak-2 caused by tyrosine phosphorylation. The IFN-␥-activated factor complex binds to the IFN-␥-activated sequence element in the regulatory region of IFN-␥-inducible genes. Tyrosine kinase Jak-1 and STAT-1␣ are the essential components of the IFN-␣ and IFN-␥ signaling pathway.The antiviral activity of IFN, whose function is largely due to the intracellular induction of 2Ј,5Ј-oligoadenylate synthetase, double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase, and Mx protein through the JAK/STAT pathway, is the most important defense mechanism against viral infection. However, it has been reported that some viruses have the ability to break down IFN functions through suppression of the IFN signal transduction pathway and to inhibit antiviral protein or enzyme, 2Ј,5Ј-oligoadenylate synthetase, or double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase activity (4, 9,...