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[Synthesis of virus-specific products following introduction of tobacco mosaic virus RNA pereparations and the native virus into acetabularia].

The possibility to synthesize the viral-specific products after microinjection of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) preparations and the TMV RNA into the single-celled seaweed Acetabularia was studied. The accumulation of the newly synthesized protein and double-stranded RNA 24 hours after injection of TMV RNA and native virus preparations was demonstrated by immunological and immunofluorescent methods. The virus titer sharply dropped 3--4 hours after introduction into Acetabularia and in 48 hours it reached a maximum level. The presented data showed the possibility of TMW RNA replication and translation involving formation of viral-specific proteins and the production of a virus of full value in the Acetabularia cell.

Acetabularia↗

Partial nucleotide sequence of the Murray Valley encephalitis virus genome. Comparison of the encoded polypeptides with yellow fever virus structural and non-structural proteins.

The sequence of 5400 bases corresponding to the 5'-terminal half of the Murray Valley encephalitis virus genome has been determined. The genome contains a 5' non-coding region of about 97 nucleotides, followed by a single continuous open reading frame that encodes the structural proteins followed by the non-structural proteins. Amino acid sequence homology between the Murray Valley encephalitis and yellow fever (Rice et al., 1985) polyproteins is 42% over the region sequenced. The start points of the various Murray Valley encephalitis virus-coded proteins have been assigned on the basis of this homology and a consistent set of potential proteolytic cleavage sites identified, the sequences of which are similar in Murray Valley encephalitis and yellow fever. The deduced Murray Valley encephalitis gene order is 5'-C-prM (M)-E-NS1-ns2a-ns2b-NS3-3'. The genome organization of Murray Valley encephalitis and yellow fever appears to be identical and the sizes of the predicted virus-coded proteins similar between the two viruses. Both viruses encode a basic capsid protein followed by three glycoproteins; the glycoproteins appear to have the conventional topology of N terminus outside with a C-terminal membrane-spanning domain. There are conserved glycosylation sites in prM, the precursor to the M protein of the virion, and in NS1, a non-structural protein of uncertain function. The glycosylation sites in E, the major envelope protein of the virion, are not conserved as to position. We predict the existence, in flavivirus-infected cells, of two small, hydrophobic peptides, ns2a and ns2b, which show only limited amino acid sequence homology. Finally, about half of the amino acid sequence of NS3 has been obtained; NS3 is a hydrophilic non-structural protein that shows 55% amino acid sequence similarity between Murray Valley encephalitis and yellow fever over the region sequenced and is probably involved in RNA replication.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Membrane-dependent uridylylation of the genome-linked protein VPg of poliovirus.

A small nucleotidyl-protein has been synthesized in vitro in a membrane fraction of poliovirus-infected HeLa cells. Analyses of the nucleotides and polypeptide have shown that the nucleotidyl-protein is VPg-pUpU: the genome-linked protein of poliovirion RNA covalently bound to the first two 5'-terminal nucleotides of poliovirus RNA. Synthesis of VPg-pUpU in vitro was sensitive to nonionic detergent. We suggest that VPg-pUpU is part of the initiation complex in poliovirus RNA replication in a membranous environment.

Genes↗

Role of a viral membrane polypeptide in strand-specific initiation of poliovirus RNA synthesis.

A molecular genetic analysis has been combined with an in vitro biochemical approach to define the functional interactions required for nucleotidyl protein formation during poliovirus RNA synthesis. A site-directed lesion into the hydrophobic domain of a viral membrane protein produced a mutant virus that is defective in RNA synthesis at 39 degrees C. The phenotypic expression of this lesion affects initiation of RNA synthesis, in vitro uridylylation of the genome-linked protein (VPg), and the in vivo synthesis of plus-strand viral RNAs. Our results support a model that employs a viral membrane protein as carrier for VPg in the initiation of plus-strand RNA synthesis. Our data also suggest that a separate mechanism could be used in the initiation of minus-strand RNA synthesis, thereby providing a means for strand-specific regulation of picornavirus RNA replication.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hepatitis C virus nonstructural proteins are localized in a modified endoplasmic reticulum of cells expressing viral subgenomic replicons.

For many years our knowledge on hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication has been based on in vitro experiments or transfection studies. Recently, the first reliable system for studying viral replication in tissue culture cells was developed. Taking advantage of this system, we examined in detail the localization of viral nonstructural (NS) proteins in cells containing functional replication complexes. By fractionation experiments and immunomicroscopy, we observed that all NS proteins were associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes, confirming the hypothesis that the ER is the site of membrane-associated HCV RNA replication. Interestingly, NS3 and NS4A were preferentially localized in endoplasmic reticulum cisternae surrounding mitochondria, suggesting additional subcellular compartment-related functions for these viral proteins. Furthermore, the immunoelectron microscopy revealed the loss of the organization and other morphological alterations of the ER (convoluted cisternae and paracrystalline structures), resembling alterations observed in liver biopsies of HCV-infected individuals and in flavivirus-infected cells.

Animals↗

Characterization of mRNA for hepatitis delta antigen: exclusion of the full-length antigenomic RNA as an mRNA.

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) encodes a single protein, the hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg), which is thought to be translated from a 0. 8-kb RNA of antigenomic sense. This subgenomic RNA species is present in very small amounts in HDV-infected liver tissues and in cultured cells infected or transfected with HDV, and in some cases it cannot be detected at all. In contrast, HDAg protein is present in large amounts in all natural and experimental models of HDV infection. This study addresses whether other HDV RNA species, such as the antigenomic-sense, genome-size HDV RNA can also serve as the mRNA for HDAg synthesis. Taking advantage of the ability of herpes simplex virus (HSV) to degrade only polyadenylated mRNAs, we examined the effect of HSV coinfection on HDAg synthesis. It was shown that HSV infection did degrade the subgenomic 0.8-kb HDV mRNA but not HDV genome-length RNA. Under such conditions, HDAg synthesis was completely inhibited. Furthermore, the genome-length HDV RNA was found not to be associated with polysomes. Finally, in vitro translation studies demonstrated that HDAg could not be translated directly from the genome-length antigenomic-sense HDV RNA. These results suggest that only the subgenomic RNA species of HDV possesses properties characteristic of the mRNA for HDAg and that the genome-length RNA cannot be used for translating HDAg. In addition, we found that HDV RNA replication did not depend on de novo HDAg synthesis.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Mechanism of interferon action: inhibition of vesicular stomatitis virus replication in human amnion U cells by cloned human gamma-interferon. II. Effect on viral macromolecular synthesis.

The effects of recombinant human gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) on vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) macromolecular synthesis in human amnion U cells were examined. Saturating concentrations of IFN-gamma caused only a 3 to 5-fold reduction of viral protein synthesis in wild-type VSV-infected cells, an extent insufficient to account for the 100-fold inhibition of viral infectivity. By use of the VSV mutant tsG41, which is competent in RNA transcription but defective in RNA replication at 40 degrees C, it was shown that the apparent IFN-induced inhibition of viral protein synthesis was likely due to a reduction in the synthesis of primary transcripts in IFN-gamma-treated U cells. Dot blot hybridization analysis revealed that saturating concentrations of IFN-gamma reduced both primary (measured with mutant tsG41-infected U cells) and total (measured with wild-type-infected U cells) viral RNA synthesis by about 4-fold, an extent of inhibition comparable to the observed reduction in viral protein synthesis. Analysis of RNA, fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis after denaturation with glyoxal, with cDNA probes to individual VSV mRNAs did not reveal any detectable difference in the structural integrity of VSV mRNA isolated from IFN-gamma treated as compared to untreated U cells. These results suggest that IFN-gamma treatment causes a small reduction in the efficiency of transcript formation catalyzed by input parental virions. However, the results also indicate that the principal cause of the IFN-gamma-induced inhibition of VSV replication in U cells is the alteration of a step in replication other than viral macromolecular synthesis. This implies that the molecular mechanism of viral inhibition by IFN-gamma is fundamentally different from that of IFN-alpha in human amnion U cells.

Amnion↗

Initiation of (-)-strand RNA synthesis catalyzed by the BMV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase: synthesis of oligonucleotides.

RNA replication, a process of fundamental importance for pathogenesis by many viruses, remains poorly understood at the mechanistic level because relatively few of the responsible enzymes have been purified and characterized biochemically. Partially purified RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) from brome mosaic virus (BMV)-infected barley leaves is able to synthesize (-)-strand RNAs from input (+)-strand templates. In resolving RdRp products generated during (-)-strand BMV RNA synthesis, we found that an RNA of eight nucleotides was generated at approximately 10-fold molar excess to the full-length (-)-strand RNA. Production of the 8-mer was dependent upon and specific to BMV RNA templates. Furthermore, inhibitors of full-length (-)-strand RNA synthesis by RdRp also affected the production of the 8-mer. Analysis of the sequence of the 8-mer suggests that it is initiated at the authentic initiation site on the BMV RNA template, consistent with the possibility that the 8-mer is an abortive initiation product of RNA synthesis by RdRp in vitro. Addition of heparin or Mn2+ differentially affected production of the 8-mer and full-length (-)-strand RNA, as did some nucleotide changes near the site of RNA initiation. These studies further define the initiation process of (-)-strand RNA synthesis.

Bromovirus↗

The UCUAAAC promoter motif is not required for high-frequency leader recombination in bovine coronavirus defective interfering RNA.

The 65-nucleotide leader on the cloned bovine coronavirus defective interfering (DI) RNA, when marked by mutations, has been shown to rapidly convert to the wild-type leader of the helper virus following DI RNA transfection into helper virus-infected cells. A model of leader-primed transcription in which free leader supplied in trans by the helper virus interacts by way of its flanking 5'UCUAAAC3' sequence element with the 3'-proximal 3'AGAUUUG5' promoter on the DI RNA minus strand to prime RNA replication has been used to explain this phenomenon. To test this model, the UCUAAAC element which occurs only once in the BCV 5' untranslated region was either deleted or completely substituted in input DI RNA template, and evidence of leader conversion was sought. In both cases, leader conversion occurred rapidly, indicating that this element is not required on input RNA for the conversion event. Substitution mutations mapped the crossover region to a 24-nucleotide segment that begins within the UCUAAAC sequence and extends downstream. Although structure probing of the bovine coronavirus 5' untranslated region indicated that the UCUAAAC element is in the loop of a prominent stem and thus theoretically available for base pair-directed priming, no evidence of an unattached leader early in infection that might have served as a primer for transcription was found by RNase protection studies. These results together suggest that leader conversion on the DI RNA 5' terminus is not guided by the UCUAAAC element and might arise instead from a high-frequency, region-specific, homologous recombination event perhaps during minus-strand synthesis rather than by leader priming during plus-strand synthesis.

Animals↗

Nonreciprocal pseudotyping: murine leukemia virus proteins cannot efficiently package spleen necrosis virus-based vector RNA.

It has been documented that spleen necrosis virus (SNV) can package murine leukemia virus (MLV) RNA efficiently and propagate MLV vectors to the same titers as it propagates SNV-based vectors. Although the SNV packaging signal (E) and MLV packaging signal (Psi) have little sequence homology, similar double-hairpin RNA structures were predicted and supported by experimental evidence. To test whether SNV RNA can be packaged by MLV proteins, we modified an SNV vector to be expressed in an MLV-based murine helper cell line. Surprisingly, we found that MLV proteins could not support the replication of SNV vectors. The decrease in titer was approximately 2,000- to 20,000-fold in one round of retroviral replication. RNA analysis revealed that SNV RNA was not efficiently packaged by MLV proteins. RNA hybridization of the cellular and viral RNAs indicated that SNV RNA was packaged at least 25-fold less efficiently than MLV RNA, which was the sensitivity limit of the hybridization assay. The contrast between the MLV and SNV packaging specificity is striking. SNV proteins can recognize both SNV E and MLV Psi, but MLV can recognize only MLV Psi. This is the first demonstration of two retroviruses with nonreciprocal packaging specificities.

Cell Line↗

Interaction of poly(rC)-binding protein 2 with the 5'-terminal stem loop of the hepatitis C-virus genome.

The 5' noncoding region (NCR) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) contains an internal ribosome entry site for translation initiation. Cellular proteins (e.g. La, polypyrimidine tract-binding protein, and p25) that interact with HCV 5' NCR have been implicated in facilitating efficient internal initiation. The 5' NCR may also contain RNA structures and specific RNA sequences that interact with cellular proteins to promote RNA replication. UV crosslinking experiments revealed a 43-kDa cellular protein (p43) also interacts with the HCV 5' NCR. Further UV crosslinking experiments with deletion mutants of HCV 5' NCR demonstrated that p43 bound specifically to the 5'-terminal stem-loop of the HCV 5' NCR. Achromobactor proteinase I digests, competition experiments, and immunoprecipitation confirmed that p43 was identical to human poly(rC)-binding protein 2 (PCBP2). We prepared a PCBP2-immunodepleted rabbit reticulocyte lysate with an anti-PCBP2 antibody. Translation activity promoted by the HCV internal ribosome-entry site was the same in PCBP2-depleted lysates as in mock-depleted lysates. In conclusion, PCBP2 specifically interacted with the 5' terminus of HCV genome but had no effect on HCV translation. We speculate that PCBP2's interaction with HCV 5' NCR may be involved in the replication-initiation complex of HCV.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

The efficient packaging of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus-specific RNAs into viral particles is determined by nsP1-3 synthesis.

Alphaviruses are regarded as attractive systems for expression of heterologous genes and development of recombinant vaccines. Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE)-based vectors are particularly promising because of their specificity to lymphoid tissues and strong resistance to interferon. To improve understanding of the VEE genome packaging and optimize application of this virus as a vector, we analyzed in more detail the mechanism of packaging of the VEE-specific RNAs. The presence of the RNAs in the VEE particles during serial passaging in tissue culture was found to depend not only on the presence of packaging signal(s), but also on the ability of these RNAs to express in cis nsP1, nsP2 and nsP3 in the form of a P123 precursor. Packaging of VEE genomes into infectious virions was also found to be more efficient compared to that of Sindbis virus, in spite of lower levels of RNA replication and structural protein production.

Animals↗

tRNA-like properties of tobacco rattle virus RNA.

The 3' terminal forty nucleotides of tobraviral RNAs readily fold into a tertiary structure, resembling that of tymo- and tobamoviral RNAs. The latter RNAs possess a tRNA-like structure at their 3' end that is recognized by a number of tRNA-specific enzymes (Rietveld et al. (1984), EMBO J. 3, 2613-2619). Characteristic for their aminoacyl acceptor arm is the presence of a so-called pseudoknot which we now also find in a corresponding position at the 3' terminus of TRV RNA2 (PSG strain). The nucleotide sequences of all tobraviral RNAs analysed so far indicate that they all possess a similar 3' terminal structure. A domain resembling the anticodon arm of canonical tRNA is not readily recognizable. TRV RNA2 can be adenylated with CTP, ATP; tRNA nucleotidyl transferase and ATP. It is unable, however, to accept any of the twenty common amino acids when incubated with ATP and aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases from wheat germ or yeast. We conclude that TRV RNA contains a tRNA-like structure, which, in contrast to the tymo- and tobamoviral tRNA-like structures, cannot be aminoacylated. It is unlikely therefore, that aminoacylation of plant viral RNAs with a tRNA-like structure is a prerequisite for viral RNA replication.

Base Sequence↗

Specific cessation of minus-strand RNA accumulation at an early stage of tobacco mosaic virus infection.

The time course of accumulation of viral plus-strand RNAs (genomic RNA and subgenomic mRNA for the coat protein) and minus-strand RNA in tobacco protoplasts synchronously infected with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) RNA was examined. In protoplasts infected with the wild-type TMV L RNA, the plus and minus strands accumulated differently not only in quantity but also in the outline of kinetics. The time courses of accumulation of the genomic RNA and coat protein mRNA were similar: they became detectable at 2 or 4 h postinoculation (p.i.), and their accumulation increased until 14 to 18 h p.i. The accumulation rate reached the maximum at about 4 h p.i. and then gradually decreased. In contrast, accumulation of the minus-strand RNA ceased at 6 to 8 h p.i., at which time the plus-strand accumulation was already about 100 times greater and still continued vigorously. This specific halt of minus-strand accumulation was not caused exclusively by encapsidation of the genomic RNA, because a similar halt was observed upon infection with a deletion mutant that lacks the 30K and coat protein genes. Upon infection with a mutant that could not produce the 130K protein (one of the two proteins that are thought to be involved in viral RNA replication), the accumulation levels of both plus and minus strands were lower than that of the parental wild-type virus. Given these observations, possible mechanisms of TMV replication are discussed.

Cell Transformation, Viral↗

RNA-protein interactions directed by the 3' end of human rhinovirus genomic RNA.

The replication of a picornavirus genomic RNA is a template-specific process involving the recognition of viral RNAs as target replication templates for the membrane-bound viral replication initiation complex. The virus-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, 3Dpol, is a major component of the replication complex; however, when supplied with a primed template, 3Dpol is capable of copying polyadenylated RNAs which are not of viral origin. Therefore, there must be some other molecular mechanism to direct the specific assembly of the replication initiation complex at the 3' end of viral genomic RNAs, presumably involving cis-acting binding determinants within the 3' noncoding region (3' NCR). This report describes the use of an in vitro UV cross-linking assay to identify proteins which interact with the 3' NCR of human rhinovirus 14 RNA. A cellular protein(s) was identified in cytoplasmic extracts from human rhinovirus 14-infected cells which had a marked binding preference for RNAs containing the rhinovirus 3' NCR sequence. This protein(s) showed reduced cross-linking efficiency for a 3' NCR with an engineered deletion. Virus recovered from RNA transfections with in vitro transcribed RNA containing the same 3' NCR deletion demonstrated a defective replication phenotype in vivo. Cross-linking experiments with RNAs containing the poliovirus 3' NCR and cytoplasmic extracts from poliovirus-infected cells produced an RNA-protein complex with indistinguishable electrophoretic properties, suggesting that the appearance of the cellular protein(s) may be a common phenomenon of picornavirus infection. We suggest that the observed cellular protein(s) is sequestered or modified as a result of rhinovirus or poliovirus infection and is utilized in viral RNA replication, perhaps by binding to the 3' NCR as a prerequisite for replication complex assembly at the 3' end of the viral genomic RNA.

Base Sequence↗

Function of rotavirus VP3 polypeptide in viral morphogenesis.

The phenotype of the rotavirus SA-11 mutant tsB carrying a thermosensitive mutation in gene 3, which encodes VP3, was characterized further from both infected cells and purified viral particles. The mutant phenotype was initially identified as negative for in vivo double- and single-stranded RNA synthesis. Our results show that the in vitro transcriptional properties of the tsB mutant at the restrictive temperature were identical to those of the wild-type strain. Similar results were obtained with respect to the VP3-associated guanylyl-transferase activity. Analysis of viral particles made by mutant-infected cells at the restrictive temperature showed that only empty single-shelled particles were assembled. This indicates that viral morphogenesis is halted after the initial viral transcription and before RNA replication, suggesting that VP3 may be required as part of the replicase system but not for subviral particle assembly. These data suggest that such a phenotype is not due to alteration of a VP3 function related to transcription.

Capsid↗

De novo RNA synthesis and homology modeling of the classical swine fever virus RNA polymerase.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) non-structural protein 5B (NS5B) encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), a key enzyme which initiates RNA replication by a de novo mechanism without a primer and is a potential target for anti-virus therapy. We expressed the NS5B protein in Escherichia coli. The rGTP can stimulate de novo initiation of RNA synthesis and mutation of the GDD motif to Gly-Asp-Asp (GAA) abolishes the RNA synthesis. To better understand the mechanism of viral RNA synthesis in CSFV, a three-dimensional model was built by homology modeling based on the alignment with several virus RdRps. The model contains 605 residues folded in the characteristic fingers, palm and thumb domains. The fingers domain contains an N-terminal region that plays an important role in conformational change. We propose that the experimentally observed promotion of polymerase efficiency by rGTP is probably due to the conformational changes of the polymerase caused by binding the rGTP. Mutation of the GDD to GAA interferes with the interaction between the residues at the polymerase active site and metal ions, and thus renders the polymerase inactive.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Differential activation of the influenza virus polymerase via template RNA binding.

Primary transcripts synthesized by the influenza virus polymerase contain the capped 5' ends of eukaryotic mRNAs. These sequences are derived from host mRNA and scavenged by the viral polymerase as a prerequisite to transcription. The first step in this reaction is the specific binding of the viral polymerase to the cap structure of the host RNA. The role that template RNA plays in this RNA binding reaction was examined in quantitative capped mRNA binding and endonuclease assays. Capped RNA binding was shown to be a template-dependent property of the influenza virus polymerase. Addition of only the 5' end of viral RNA stimulates capped mRNA binding by the viral polymerase, but endonuclease activity requires the addition of the 3' end. The addition of template RNA corresponding to the positive-sense complementary RNA replicative intermediate was also able to stimulate capped mRNA binding but was not able to efficiently activate the viral endonuclease. Thus, regulation of endonuclease activity by the influenza virus polymerase can be dependent on template RNA binding.

DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases↗