scholarly journals Molecular Bases of Viral RNA Targeting by Viral Small Interfering RNA-Programmed RISC

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 3797-3806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitantonio Pantaleo ◽  
György Szittya ◽  
József Burgyán
Keyword(s):  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Rna Cleavage ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Virus Induced Gene Silencing ◽  
Rna Targeting ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Target Rna

ABSTRACT RNA silencing is conserved in a broad range of eukaryotes and operates in the development and maintenance of genome integrity in many organisms. Plants have adapted this system for antiviral defense, and plant viruses have in turn developed mechanisms to suppress RNA silencing. RNA silencing-related RNA inactivation is likely based on target RNA cleavage or translational arrest. Although it is widely assumed that virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) promotes the endonucleolytic cleavage of the viral RNA genome, this popular assumption has never been tested experimentally. Here we analyzed the viral RNA targeting by VIGS in tombusvirus-infected plants, and we show evidence that antiviral response of VIGS is based on viral RNA cleavage by RNA-induced silencing effector complex (RISC) programmed by virus-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). In addition, we found that the RISC-mediated cleavages do not occur randomly on the viral genome. Indeed, sequence analysis of cloned cleavage products identified hot spots for target RNA cleavage, and the regions of specific RISC-mediated cleavages are asymmetrically distributed along the positive- and negative-sense viral RNA strands. In addition, we identified viral siRNAs containing high-molecular-mass protein complexes purified from the recovery leaves of the silencing suppressor mutant virus-infected plants. Strikingly, these large nucleoproteins cofractionated with microRNA-containing complexes, suggesting that these nucleoproteins are silencing related effector complexes.

scholarly journals Structural and Genetic Requirements for the Biogenesis of Tobacco Rattle Virus-Derived Small Interfering RNAs

2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (11) ◽  
pp. 5167-5177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Livia Donaire ◽  
Daniel Barajas ◽  
Belén Martínez-García ◽  
Llucia Martínez-Priego ◽  
Israel Pagán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Tobacco Rattle Virus ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Distribution Profile ◽  
Heterogeneous Distribution ◽  
Genetic Components ◽  
Combined Action

ABSTRACT In plants, small RNA-guided processes referred to as RNA silencing control gene expression and serve as an efficient antiviral mechanism. Plant viruses are inducers and targets of RNA silencing as infection involves the production of functional virus-derived small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Here we investigate the structural and genetic components influencing the formation of Tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-derived siRNAs. TRV siRNAs are mostly 21 nucleotides in length and derive from positive and negative viral RNA strands, although TRV siRNAs of positive polarity are significantly more abundant. This asymmetry appears not to correlate with the presence of highly structured regions of single-stranded viral RNA. The Dicer-like enzyme DCL4, DCL3, or DCL2 targets, alone or in combination, viral templates to promote synthesis of siRNAs of both polarities from all regions of the viral genome. The heterogeneous distribution profile of TRV siRNAs reveals differential contributions throughout the TRV genome to siRNA formation. Indirect evidence suggests that DCL2 is responsible for production of a subset of siRNAs derived from the 3′ end region of TRV. TRV siRNA biogenesis and antiviral silencing are strongly dependent on the combined activity of the host-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerases RDR1, RDR2, and RDR6, thus providing evidence that perfectly complementary double-stranded RNA serves as a substrate for siRNA production. We conclude that the overall composition of viral siRNAs in TRV-infected plants reflects the combined action of several interconnected pathways involving different DCL and RDR activities.

scholarly journals Role of RNA Silencing Suppression in the Pathogenicity and Host Specificity of the Grapevine Virus A

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munir Mawassi ◽  
Valerian Dolja
Keyword(s):  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Grapevine Virus ◽  
Virus Transport ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Grapevine Virus A ◽  
Silencing Suppression ◽  
And Function

RNA silencing is a defense mechanism that functions against virus infection and involves sequence-specific degradation of viral RNA. Diverse RNA and DNA viruses of plants encode RNA silencing suppressors (RSSs), which, in addition to their role in viral counterdefense, were implicated in the efficient accumulation of viral RNAs, virus transport, pathogenesis, and determination of the virus host range. Despite rapidly growing understanding of the mechanisms of RNA silencing suppression, systematic analysis of the roles played by diverse RSSs in virus biology and pathology is yet to be completed. Our research was aimed at conducting such analysis for two grapevine viruses, Grapevine virus A (GVA) and Grapevine leafroll-associated virus-2 (GLRaV- 2). Our major achievements on the previous cycle of BARD funding are as follows. 1. GVA and GLRaV-2 were engineered into efficient gene expression and silencing vectors for grapevine. The efficient techniques for grapevine infection resulting in systemic expression or silencing of the recombinant genes were developed. Therefore, GVA and GLRaV-2 were rendered into powerful tools of grapevine virology and functional genomics. 2. The GVA and GLRaV-2 RSSs, p10 and p24, respectively, were identified, and their roles in viral pathogenesis were determined. In particular, we found that p10 functions in suppression and pathogenesis are genetically separable. 3. We revealed that p10 is a self-interactive protein that is targeted to the nucleus. In contrast, p24 mechanism involves binding small interfering RNAs in the cytoplasm. We have also demonstrated that p10 is relatively weak, whereas p24 is extremely strong enhancer of the viral agroinfection. 4. We found that, in addition to the dedicated RSSs, GVA and GLRaV-2 counterdefenses involve ORF1 product and leader proteases, respectively. 5. We have teamed up with Dr. Koonin and Dr. Falnes groups to study the evolution and function of the AlkB domain presents in GVA and many other plant viruses. It was demonstrated that viral AlkBs are RNA-specific demethylases thus providing critical support for the biological relevance of the novel process of AlkB-mediated RNA repair. 

scholarly journals The 7a Accessory Protein of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Acts as an RNA Silencing Suppressor

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (19) ◽  
pp. 10395-10401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumona Karjee ◽  
Ankita Minhas ◽  
Vikas Sood ◽  
Sanket S. Ponia ◽  
Akhil C. Banerjea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Animal Cell ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Accessory Protein ◽  
Middle Region ◽  
Virus Induced Gene Silencing ◽  
Positive Sense ◽  
Mammalian Virus ◽  
Interfering Rna

ABSTRACT RNA silencing suppressors (RSSs) are well studied for plant viruses but are not well defined to date for animal viruses. Here, we have identified an RSS from a medically important positive-sense mammalian virus, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. The viral 7a accessory protein suppressed both transgene and virus-induced gene silencing by reducing the levels of small interfering RNA (siRNA). The suppression of silencing was analyzed by two independent assays, and the middle region (amino acids [aa] 32 to 89) of 7a was responsible for suppression. Finally, the RNA suppression property and the enhancement of heterologous replicon activity by the 7a protein were confirmed for animal cell lines.

scholarly journals RNA Silencing against Geminivirus: Complementary Action of Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing and Transcriptional Gene Silencing in Host Recovery

2008 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 1332-1340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar A. Rodríguez-Negrete ◽  
Jimena Carrillo-Tripp ◽  
Rafael F. Rivera-Bustamante
Keyword(s):  
Gene Silencing ◽  
Intergenic Region ◽  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Methylation Status ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Transcriptional Gene Silencing ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Coding Region ◽  
Natural Defense

ABSTRACT RNA silencing in plants is a natural defense system mechanism against invading nucleic acids such as viruses. Geminiviruses, a family of plant viruses characterized by a circular, single-stranded DNA genome, are thought to be both inducers and targets of RNA silencing. Some natural geminivirus-host interactions lead to symptom remission or host recovery, a process commonly associated with RNA silencing-mediated defense. Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV)-infected pepper plants show a recovery phenotype, which has been associated with the presence of virus-derived small RNAs. The results presented here suggest that PepGMV is targeted by both posttranscriptional and transcriptional gene silencing mechanisms. Two types of virus-related small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were detected: siRNAs of 21 to 22 nucleotides (nt) in size that are related to the coding regions (Rep, TrAP, REn, and movement protein genes) and a 24-nt population primarily associated to the intergenic regions. Methylation levels of the PepGMV A intergenic and coat protein (CP) coding region were measured by a bisulfite sequencing approach. An inverse correlation was observed between the methylation status of the intergenic region and the concentration of viral DNA and symptom severity. The intergenic region also showed a methylation profile conserved in all times analyzed. The CP region, on the other hand, did not show a defined profile, and its methylation density was significantly lower than the one found on the intergenic region. The participation of both PTGS and TGS mechanisms in host recovery is discussed.

scholarly journals Inhibition of RNA silencing by the coat protein of Pelargonium flower break virus: distinctions from closely related suppressors

2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 519-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Martínez-Turiño ◽  
Carmen Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Coat Protein ◽  
Potato Virus ◽  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Potato Virus X ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Silencing Suppression ◽  
Viral Suppressors

Viral-derived double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) activate RNA silencing, generating small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) which are incorporated into an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) that promotes homology-dependent degradation of cognate RNAs. To counteract this, plant viruses express RNA silencing suppressors. Here, we show that the coat protein (CP) of Pelargonium flower break virus (PFBV), a member of the genus Carmovirus, is able to efficiently inhibit RNA silencing. Interestingly, PFBV CP blocked both sense RNA- and dsRNA-triggered RNA silencing and did not preclude generation of siRNAs, which is in contrast with the abilities that have been reported for other carmoviral CPs. We have also found that PFBV CP can bind siRNAs and that this ability correlates with silencing suppression activity and enhancement of potato virus X pathogenicity. Collectively, the results indicate that PFBV CP inhibits RNA silencing by sequestering siRNAs and preventing their incorporation into a RISC, thus behaving similarly to unrelated viral suppressors but dissimilarly to orthologous ones.

scholarly journals RNA Interference: A Novel Technology for Virus Disease Management in Crop Plants

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Karthikeyan Gandhi ◽  
◽  
Rajamanickam Suppaiah ◽  
Suganyadevi Murugesan ◽  
Nagendran Krishnan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Interference ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Reverse Genetics ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Eukaryotic Organisms

RNAs play a significant role in regulating gene expression and their principal areas have been exploited for the control of plant viruses by the discovery of RNA silencing mechanism. RNA silencing or RNA interference (RNAi) is an innovative mechanism that regulates and restricts the amount of transcripts either by suppressing transcription (TGS) or by the degradation of sequence-specific RNA. RNAi can be used effectively to study the role of genes in a variety of eukaryotic organisms by reverse genetics. The technology has been employed in several fields such as drug resistance, therapeutics, development of genetically modified animals for research and transgenic plants targeting plant viruses. In plants, small interfering RNAs (siRNA) are the characteristic of 21 to 22 bp long dsRNA, which has been recognized by the regulatory mechanism of RNAi and leads to the sequence-specific degradation of target mRNA. In addition to virus disease control, RNAi can also be used to control mycotoxins and plant diseases caused by other organisms. This review enhances our current knowledge of RNAi and its larger applications in agriculture, specifically in plant virus disease management.

scholarly journals Phosphate-binding pocket in Dicer-2 PAZ domain for high-fidelity siRNA production

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (49) ◽  
pp. 14031-14036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suresh K. Kandasamy ◽  
Ryuya Fukunaga
Keyword(s):  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Rna Cleavage ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Phosphate Binding ◽  
Micro Rnas ◽  
Paz Domain

The enzyme Dicer produces small silencing RNAs such as micro-RNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). In Drosophila, Dicer-1 produces ∼22–24-nt miRNAs from pre-miRNAs, whereas Dicer-2 makes 21-nt siRNAs from long double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs). How Dicer-2 precisely makes 21-nt siRNAs with a remarkably high fidelity is unknown. Here we report that recognition of the 5′-monophosphate of a long dsRNA substrate by a phosphate-binding pocket in the Dicer-2 PAZ (Piwi, Argonaute, and Zwille/Pinhead) domain is crucial for the length fidelity, but not the efficiency, in 21-nt siRNA production. Loss of the length fidelity, meaning increased length heterogeneity of siRNAs, caused by point mutations in the phosphate-binding pocket of the Dicer-2 PAZ domain decreased RNA silencing activity in vivo, showing the importance of the high fidelity to make 21-nt siRNAs. We propose that the 5′-monophosphate of a long dsRNA substrate is anchored by the phosphate-binding pocket in the Dicer-2 PAZ domain and the distance between the pocket and the RNA cleavage active site in the RNaseIII domain corresponds to the 21-nt pitch in the A-form duplex of a long dsRNA substrate, resulting in high-fidelity 21-nt siRNA production. This study sheds light on the molecular mechanism by which Dicer-2 produces 21-nt siRNAs with a remarkably high fidelity for efficient RNA silencing.

scholarly journals Effects of the Crinivirus Coat Protein–Interacting Plant Protein SAHH on Post-Transcriptional RNA Silencing and Its Suppression

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1004-1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Carmen Cañizares ◽  
Rosa Lozano-Durán ◽  
Tomás Canto ◽  
Eduardo R. Bejarano ◽  
David M. Bisaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coat Protein ◽  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Plant Protein ◽  
Transcriptional Gene Silencing ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Post Transcriptional Gene Silencing ◽  
Secondary Sirnas ◽  
Tomato Chlorosis Virus

In plants, post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) is a sequence-specific mechanism of RNA degradation induced by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which is processed into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). siRNAs are methylated and, thereby, stabilized by the activity of the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent RNA methyltransferase HEN1. PTGS is amplified by host-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RDR), which generate dsRNA that is processed into secondary siRNAs. To counteract this RNA silencing-mediated response of the host, plant viruses express proteins with silencing suppression activity. Here, we report that the coat protein (CP) of crinivirus (family Closteroviridae, genus Crinivirus) Tomato chlorosis virus, a known suppressor of silencing, interacts with S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH), a plant protein essential for sustaining the methyl cycle and S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase activity. Our results show that, by contributing to an increased accumulation of secondary siRNAs generated by the action of RDR6, SAHH enhances local RNA silencing. Although downregulation of SAHH prevents local silencing, it enhances the spread of systemic silencing. Our results also show that SAHH is important in the suppression of local RNA silencing not only by the crinivirus Tomato chlorosis virus CP but also by the multifunctional helper component-proteinase of the potyvirus Potato virus Y.

scholarly journals The Coat Protein of Turnip Crinkle Virus Suppresses Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing at an Early Initiation Step

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 511-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Qu ◽  
Tao Ren ◽  
T. Jack Morris
Keyword(s):  
Coat Protein ◽  
Gene Silencing ◽  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Early Initiation ◽  
Turnip Crinkle Virus ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing ◽  
Initiation Step

ABSTRACT Posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS), or RNA silencing, is a sequence-specific RNA degradation process that targets foreign RNA, including viral and transposon RNA for destruction. Several RNA plant viruses have been shown to encode suppressors of PTGS in order to survive this host defense. We report here that the coat protein (CP) of Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) strongly suppresses PTGS. The Agrobacterium infiltration system was used to demonstrate that TCV CP suppressed the local PTGS as strongly as several previously reported virus-coded suppressors and that the action of TCV CP eliminated the small interfering RNAs associated with PTGS. We have also shown that the TCV CP must be present at the time of silencing initiation to be an effective suppressor. TCV CP was able to suppress PTGS induced by sense, antisense, and double-stranded RNAs, and it prevented systemic silencing. These data suggest that TCV CP functions to suppress RNA silencing at an early initiation step, likely by interfering the function of the Dicer-like RNase in plants.

scholarly journals The p122 Subunit of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Replicase Is a Potent Silencing Suppressor and Compromises both Small Interfering RNA- and MicroRNA-Mediated Pathways

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (21) ◽  
pp. 11768-11780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tibor Csorba ◽  
Aurelie Bovi ◽  
Tamás Dalmay ◽  
József Burgyán
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Mosaic Virus ◽  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Nuclear Export ◽  
Rna Silencing ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Silencing Suppressor ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Interfering Rna

ABSTRACT One of the functions of RNA silencing in plants is to defend against molecular parasites, such as viruses, retrotransposons, and transgenes. Plant viruses are inducers, as well as targets, of RNA silencing-based antiviral defense. Replication intermediates or folded viral RNAs activate RNA silencing, generating small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which are the key players in the antiviral response. Viruses are able to counteract RNA silencing by expressing silencing-suppressor proteins. It has been shown that many of the identified silencing-suppressor proteins bind long double-stranded RNA or siRNAs and thereby prevent assembly of the silencing effector complexes. In this study, we show that the 122-kDa replicase subunit (p122) of crucifer-infecting Tobacco mosaic virus (cr-TMV) is a potent silencing-suppressor protein. We found that the p122 protein preferentially binds to double-stranded 21-nucleotide (nt) siRNA and microRNA (miRNA) intermediates with 2-nt 3′ overhangs inhibiting the incorporation of siRNA and miRNA into silencing-related complexes (e.g., RNA-induced silencing complex [RISC]) both in vitro and in planta but cannot interfere with previously programmed RISCs. In addition, our results also suggest that the virus infection and/or sequestration of the siRNA and miRNA molecules by p122 enhances miRNA accumulation despite preventing its methylation. However, the p122 silencing suppressor does not prevent the methylation of certain miRNAs in hst-15 mutants, in which the nuclear export of miRNAs is compromised.

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