Plays a role in virus budding by binding to the cell membrane and gathering the viral RNA into a nucleocapsid that forms the core of a mature virus particle. During virus entry, may induce genome penetration into the host cytoplasm after hemifusion induced by the surface proteins. Can migrate to the cell nucleus where it modulates host functions. Overcomes the anti-viral effects of host EXOC1 by sequestering and degrading the latter through the proteasome degradation pathway