scholarly journals KILLER PHENOMENON IN USTILAGO MAYDIS: THE ORGANIZATION OF THE VIRAL GENOME

Genetics ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-276
Author(s):  
Y Koltin ◽  
J S Kandel

ABSTRACT The double-stranded RNA content, the production of inactive killer protein, and the presence of virus-like particles were examined in induced nonkiller mutants and nonkiller progeny from a cross between a killer strain and a sensitive strain. A correlation between the loss of the 0.7 × 106 daltons dsRNA of the Ustilago maydis P6 virus and the lack of synthesis of the killer protein was established. In vitro and in vivo complementation between nonkiller strains provide additional support for the suggestion that the 0.7 × 106 daltons dsRNA is related to the killer function. The coding capacity of the various species of dsRNA is discussed in relation to their possible function.

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 188-194
Author(s):  
B S Ben-Tzvi ◽  
Y Koltin ◽  
M Mevarech ◽  
A Tamarkin

RNA polymerase activity is associated with the double-stranded RNA virions of Ustilago maydis. The reaction products of the polymerase activity are single-stranded RNA molecules. The RNA molecules synthesized are homologous to the three classes of double-stranded RNA molecules that typify the viral genome. The single-stranded RNA synthesized is released from the virions. The molecular weight of the single-stranded RNA transcripts is about half the size of the double-stranded RNA segments, and thus, it appears that in the in vitro reaction, full-length transcripts can be obtained.


1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 188-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
B S Ben-Tzvi ◽  
Y Koltin ◽  
M Mevarech ◽  
A Tamarkin

RNA polymerase activity is associated with the double-stranded RNA virions of Ustilago maydis. The reaction products of the polymerase activity are single-stranded RNA molecules. The RNA molecules synthesized are homologous to the three classes of double-stranded RNA molecules that typify the viral genome. The single-stranded RNA synthesized is released from the virions. The molecular weight of the single-stranded RNA transcripts is about half the size of the double-stranded RNA segments, and thus, it appears that in the in vitro reaction, full-length transcripts can be obtained.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 963
Author(s):  
Maria C. Holeva ◽  
Athanasios Sklavounos ◽  
Rajendran Rajeswaran ◽  
Mikhail M. Pooggin ◽  
Andreas E. Voloudakis

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is a destructive plant virus with worldwide distribution and the broadest host range of any known plant virus, as well as a model plant virus for understanding plant–virus interactions. Since the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) as a major antiviral defense, RNAi-based technologies have been developed for plant protection against viral diseases. In plants and animals, a key trigger of RNAi is double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) processed by Dicer and Dicer-like (DCL) family proteins in small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). In the present study, dsRNAs for coat protein (CP) and 2b genes of CMV were produced in vitro and in vivo and applied onto tobacco plants representing a systemic solanaceous host as well as on a local host plant Chenopodium quinoa. Both dsRNA treatments protected plants from local and systemic infection with CMV, but not against infection with unrelated viruses, confirming sequence specificity of antiviral RNAi. Antiviral RNAi was effective when dsRNAs were applied simultaneously with or four days prior to CMV inoculation, but not four days post inoculation. In vivo-produced dsRNAs were more effective than the in vitro-produced; in treatments with in vivo dsRNAs, dsRNA-CP was more effective than dsRNA-2b, while the effects were opposite with in vitro dsRNAs. Illumina sequencing of small RNAs from in vivo dsRNA-CP treated and non-treated tobacco plants revealed that interference with CMV infection in systemic leaves coincides with strongly reduced accumulation of virus-derived 21- and 22-nucleotide (nt) siRNAs, likely generated by tobacco DCL4 and DCL2, respectively. While the 21-nt class of viral siRNAs was predominant in non-treated plants, 21-nt and 22-nt classes accumulated at almost equal (but low) levels in dsRNA treated plants, suggesting that dsRNA treatment may boost DCL2 activity. Taken together, our findings confirm the efficacy of topical application of dsRNA for plant protection against viruses and shed more light on the mechanism of antiviral RNAi.


2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
pp. 4179-4182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Rivailler ◽  
Amitinder Kaur ◽  
R. Paul Johnson ◽  
Fred Wang

ABSTRACT A pathogenic isolate of rhesus cytomegalovirus (rhCMV 180.92) was cloned, sequenced, and annotated. Comparisons with the published rhCMV 68.1 genome revealed 8 open reading frames (ORFs) in isolate 180.92 that are absent in 68.1, 10 ORFs in 68.1 that are absent in 180.92, and 34 additional ORFs that were not previously annotated. Most of the differences appear to be due to genetic rearrangements in both isolates from a region that is frequently altered in human CMV (hCMV) during in vitro passage. These results indicate that the rhCMV ORF repertoire is larger than previously recognized. Like hCMV, understanding of the complete coding capacity of rhCMV is complicated by genomic instability and may require comparisons with additional isolates in vitro and in vivo.


2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 491-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Delelis ◽  
Sylvain Thierry ◽  
Frédéric Subra ◽  
Françoise Simon ◽  
Isabelle Malet ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Integrase (IN), the HIV-1 enzyme responsible for the integration of the viral genome into the chromosomes of infected cells, is the target of the recently approved antiviral raltegravir (RAL). Despite this drug's activity against viruses resistant to other antiretrovirals, failures of raltegravir therapy were observed, in association with the emergence of resistance due to mutations in the integrase coding region. Two pathways involving primary mutations on residues N155 and Q148 have been characterized. It was suggested that mutations at residue Y143 might constitute a third primary pathway for resistance. The aims of this study were to investigate the susceptibility of HIV-1 Y143R/C mutants to raltegravir and to determine the effects of these mutations on the IN-mediated reactions. Our observations demonstrate that Y143R/C mutants are strongly impaired for both of these activities in vitro. However, Y143R/C activity can be kinetically restored, thereby reproducing the effect of the secondary G140S mutation that rescues the defect associated with the Q148R/H mutants. A molecular modeling study confirmed that Y143R/C mutations play a role similar to that determined for Q148R/H mutations. In the viral replicative context, this defect leads to a partial block of integration responsible for a weak replicative capacity. Nevertheless, the Y143 mutant presented a high level of resistance to raltegravir. Furthermore, the 50% effective concentration (EC50) determined for Y143R/C mutants was significantly higher than that obtained with G140S/Q148R mutants. Altogether our results not only show that the mutation at position Y143 is one of the mechanisms conferring resistance to RAL but also explain the delayed emergence of this mutation.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 6295-6302 ◽  
Author(s):  
D R Taylor ◽  
S B Lee ◽  
P R Romano ◽  
D R Marshak ◽  
A G Hinnebusch ◽  
...  

The interferon-induced RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR is found in cells in a latent state. In response to the binding of double-stranded RNA, the enzyme becomes activated and autophosphorylated on several serine and threonine residues. Consequently, it has been postulated that autophosphorylation is a prerequisite for activation of the kinase. We report the identification of PKR sites that are autophosphorylated in vitro concomitantly with activation and examine their roles in the activation of PKR. Mutation of one site, threonine 258, results in a kinase that is less efficient in autophosphorylation and in phosphorylating its substrate, the initiation factor eIF2, in vitro. The mutant kinase is also impaired in vivo, displaying reduced ability to inhibit protein synthesis in yeast and mammalian cells and to induce a slow-growth phenotype in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mutations at two neighboring sites, serine 242 and threonine 255, exacerbated the effect. Taken together with earlier results (S. B. Lee, S. R. Green, M. B. Mathews, and M. Esteban, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:10551-10555, 1994), these data suggest that the central part of the PKR molecule, lying between its RNA-binding and catalytic domains, regulates kinase activity via autophosphorylation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (9) ◽  
pp. 1957-1967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroki Shinohara ◽  
Jumpei Teramachi ◽  
Hirohiko Okamura ◽  
Di Yang ◽  
Toshihiko Nagata ◽  
...  

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 2664-2674 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Blanc ◽  
J C Ribas ◽  
R B Wickner ◽  
N Sonenberg

The coat protein (Gag) of the double-stranded RNA virus L-A was previously shown to form a covalent bond with the cap structure of eukaryotic mRNAs. Here, we identify the linkage as a phosphoroimidazole bond between the alpha phosphate of the cap structure and a nitrogen in the Gag protein His-154 imidazole side chain. Mutations of His-154 abrogate the ability of Gag to bind to the cap structure, without affecting cap recognition, in vivo virus particle formation from an L-A cDNA clone, or in vitro specific binding and replication of plus-stranded single-stranded RNA. However, genetic analyses demonstrate that His-154 is essential for M1 satellite virus expression.


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