scholarly journals Restriction of SARS-CoV-2 replication by targeting programmed −1 ribosomal frameshifting

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (26) ◽  
pp. e2023051118
Author(s):  
Yu Sun ◽  
Laura Abriola ◽  
Rachel O. Niederer ◽  
Savannah F. Pedersen ◽  
Mia M. Alfajaro ◽  
...  

Translation of open reading frame 1b (ORF1b) in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) requires a programmed −1 ribosomal frameshift (−1 PRF) promoted by an RNA pseudoknot. The extent to which SARS-CoV-2 replication may be sensitive to changes in −1 PRF efficiency is currently unknown. Through an unbiased, reporter-based high-throughput compound screen, we identified merafloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibacterial, as a −1 PRF inhibitor for SARS-CoV-2. Frameshift inhibition by merafloxacin is robust to mutations within the pseudoknot region and is similarly effective on −1 PRF of other betacoronaviruses. Consistent with the essential role of −1 PRF in viral gene expression, merafloxacin impedes SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 cells, thereby providing proof-of-principle for targeting −1 PRF as a plausible and effective antiviral strategy for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Sun ◽  
Laura Abriola ◽  
Yulia V. Surovtseva ◽  
Brett D. Lindenbach ◽  
Junjie U. Guo

SUMMARYTranslation of open reading frame 1b (ORF1b) in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) requires programmed −1 ribosomal frameshifting (−1 PRF) promoted by an RNA pseudoknot. The extent to which SARS-CoV-2 replication may be sensitive to changes in −1 PRF efficiency is currently unknown. Through an unbiased, reporter-based high-throughput compound screen, we identified merafloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibacterial, as a −1 PRF inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2. Frameshift inhibition by merafloxacin is robust to mutations within the pseudoknot region and is similarly effective on −1 PRF of other beta coronaviruses. Importantly, frameshift inhibition by merafloxacin substantially impedes SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 cells, thereby providing the proof of principle of targeting −1 PRF as an effective antiviral strategy for SARS-CoV-2.


2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 3301-3306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingmei Jia ◽  
Ren Sun

ABSTRACT RNA interference (RNAi) is a conserved mechanism in which double-stranded, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) trigger a sequence-specific gene-silencing process. Here we describe the inhibition of murine herpesvirus 68 replication by siRNAs targeted to sequences encoding Rta, an immediate-early protein known as an initiator of the lytic viral gene expression program, and open reading frame 45 (ORF 45), a conserved viral protein. Our results suggest that RNAi can block gammaherpesvirus replication and ORF 45 is required for efficient viral production.


RNA ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. rna.078825.121
Author(s):  
Christopher P Jones ◽  
Adrian R Ferre-D'Amare

SARS-CoV-2 produces two long viral protein precursors from one open reading frame using a highly conserved RNA pseudoknot that enhances programmed -1 ribosomal frameshifting. The 1.3 Å-resolution X-ray structure of the pseudoknot reveals three coaxially stacked helices buttressed by idiosyncratic base triples from loop residues. This structure represents a frameshift-stimulating state that must be deformed by the ribosome, and exhibits base-triple-adjacent pockets that could be targeted by future small-molecule therapeutics.


Genetics ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
J D Dinman ◽  
R B Wickner

Abstract A special site on the (+) strand of the L-A dsRNA virus induces about 2% of ribosomes translating the gag open reading frame to execute a -1 frameshift and thus produce the viral gag-pol fusion protein. Using constructs in which a -1 ribosomal frameshift at this site was necessary for expression of lacZ we isolated chromosomal mutants in which the efficiency of frameshifting was increased. These mutants comprise eight genes, named mof (maintenance of frame). The mof1-1, mof2-1, mof4-1, mof5-1 and mof6-1 strains cannot maintain M1 dsRNA at 30 degrees, but, paradoxically, do not lose L-A. The mof2-1, mof5-1 and mof6-1 strains are temperature sensitive for growth at 37 degrees, and all three show striking cell cycle phenotypes. The mof2-1 strains arrest with mother and daughter cells almost equal in size, mof5-1 arrests with multiple buds and mof6-1 arrests as single large unbudded cells. mof2-1 and mof5-1 strains are also Pet-. The mof mutations show differential effects on various frameshifting signals.


1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 3898-3905 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Huxley ◽  
T Williams ◽  
M Fried

The mouse surfeit locus is unusual in that it contains a number of closely clustered genes (Surf-1, -2, and -4) that alternate in their direction of transcription (T. Williams, J. Yon, C. Huxley, and M. Fried, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:3527-3530, 1988). The heterogeneous 5' ends of Surf-1 and Surf-2 are separated by 15 to 73 base pairs (bp), and the 3' ends of Surf-2 and Surf-4 overlap by 133 bp (T. Williams and M. Fried, Mol. Cell. Biol. 6:4558-4569, 1986; T. Williams and M. Fried, Nature (London) 322:275-279, 1986). A fourth gene in this locus, Surf-3, which is a member of a multigene family, has been identified. The poly(A) addition site of Surf-3 lies only 70 bp from the poly(A) addition site of Surf-1. Transcription of Surf-3 has been studied in the absence of the other members of its multigene family after transfection of a cloned genomic mouse DNA fragment, containing the Surf-3 gene, into heterologous monkey cells. Surf-3 specifies a highly expressed 1.0-kilobase mRNA that contains a long open reading frame of 266 amino acids, which would encode a highly basic polypeptide (23% Arg plus Lys). The other members of the Surf-3 multigene family are predominantly, if not entirely, intronless pseudogenes with the hallmarks of being generated by reverse transcription. The role of the very tight clustering on regulation of expression of the genes in the surfeit locus is discussed.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 372-379
Author(s):  
R A Katz ◽  
B R Cullen ◽  
R Malavarca ◽  
A M Skalka

Avian retroviral mRNAs contain a long 5' untranslated leader of approximately 380 nucleotides. The leader includes sequences required for viral replication and three AUG codons which precede the AUG codon used for translational initiation of the gag and env genes. We have used sensitive, quantitative assays of viral gene transcription and translation to analyze the role of this mRNA leader in viral gene expression. By substituting segments from related viruses, we had previously shown that the endogenous avian provirus ev-1 contained a defective leader segment (B. R. Cullen, A. M. Skalka, and G. Ju, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80:2946-2950, 1983). The sequence analysis presented here, followed by comparison with the nondefective ev-2 endogenous provirus segment, identified the critical changes at nucleotides 4 and 7 upstream of the initiator AUG. These differences do not alter the most conserved nucleotides within the consensus sequence which precedes eucaryotic initiation codons, but lie within a nine-nucleotide region that is otherwise highly conserved among avian retrovirus strains. Analysis of a series of deletion mutants indicated that other sequences within the leader are also required for efficient expression. Characterization of the altered transcripts demonstrated that the presence of the defective ev-1 segment or the deletion of a ca. 200-nucleotide leader segment did not affect the steady-state level or splicing efficiency of these mRNAs. Thus, we conclude that the reduced expression of these mRNAs is due to a translational deficiency. These results indicate that specific leader sequences, other than the previously identified consensus nucleotides which precede eucaryotic AUG initiator codons, can influence eucaryotic gene translation.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 4308-4315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arti Gaur ◽  
William R. Green

ABSTRACT LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus-infected C57BL/6 mice develop profound immunodeficiency and B-cell lymphomas. The LP-BM5 complex contains a mixture of defective (BM5def) and replication-competent helper viruses among which BM5def is the primary causative agent of disease. The BM5def primary open reading frame (ORF1) encodes the single gag precursor protein (Pr60 gag ). Our lab has recently demonstrated that a novel immunodominant cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitope (SYNTGRFPPL) is expressed from a +1-nucleotide translational open reading frame of BM5def during the course of normal retrovirus expression. The SYNTGRFPPL CTL epitope may be generated from either of two initiation methionines present, ORF2a or ORF2b, located downstream of the ORF1 initiation site. This study investigates the role(s) of the alternative ORF2-derived gag protein(s) of BM5def in viral pathogenesis. We have examined the disease-inducing capabilities of mutant viruses in which the translational potential of either the initiating ORF2a or ORF2b AUG has been disrupted. Although these mutated viruses are capable of wild-type ORF1 expression, they are unable to induce disease. Our data strongly suggest the existence of a novel ORF2 product(s) that is required for LP-BM5-induced pathogenesis and have potentially broad implications for other retroviral diseases.


2000 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 476-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Jun Lee ◽  
Dong Min Kim ◽  
Kwang Hee Bae ◽  
Si Myung Byun ◽  
Jae Hoon Chung

ABSTRACT Staphylokinase (SAK), a polypeptide secreted byStaphylococcus aureus, is a plasminogen activator with a therapeutic potential in thrombosis diseases. A Bacillus subtilis strain which is multiply deficient in exoproteases was transformed by an expression plasmid carrying a promoter and a signal sequence of subtilisin fused in frame with the sak open reading frame. However, the amount of SAK secretion was marginal (45 mg/liter). In contrast, disruption of the wprA gene, which encodes a subtilisin-type protease, strongly promoted the production of SAK in the stationary phase (181 mg/liter). In addition, the extracellular stability of mature SAK was dramatically enhanced. These data indicate a significant role of the wprA gene product in degrading foreign proteins, both during secretion and in the extracellular milieu.


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