scholarly journals Identification and Characterization of the Binding Site of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Phosphoprotein to RNA-Free Nucleoprotein

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (7) ◽  
pp. 3484-3496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Galloux ◽  
Gaëlle Gabiane ◽  
Julien Sourimant ◽  
Charles-Adrien Richard ◽  
Patrick England ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Free Form ◽  
Mutant Form ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Syncytial Virus

ABSTRACTThe RNA genome of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is constitutively encapsidated by the viral nucleoprotein N, thus forming a helical nucleocapsid. Polymerization of N along the genomic and antigenomic RNAs is concomitant to replication and requires the preservation of an unassembled monomeric nucleoprotein pool. To this end, and by analogy withParamyxoviridaeandRhabdoviridae, it is expected that the viral phosphoprotein P acts as a chaperone protein, forming a soluble complex with the RNA-free form of N (N0-P complex). Here, we have engineered a mutant form of N that is monomeric, is unable to bind RNA, still interacts with P, and could thus mimic the N0monomer. We used this N mutant, designated Nmono, as a substitute for N0in order to characterize the P regions involved in the N0-P complex formation. Using a series of P fragments, we determined by glutathioneS-transferase (GST) pulldown assays that the N and C termini of P are able to interact with Nmono. We analyzed the functional role of amino-terminal residues of P by site-directed mutagenesis, using an RSV polymerase activity assay based on a human RSV minireplicon, and found that several residues were critical for viral RNA synthesis. Using GST pulldown and surface plasmon resonance assays, we showed that these critical residues are involved in the interaction between P[1-40] peptide and Nmonoin vitro. Finally, we showed that overexpression of the peptide P[1-29] can inhibit the polymerase activity in the context of the RSV minireplicon, thus demonstrating that targeting the N0-P interaction could constitute a potential antiviral strategy.IMPORTANCERespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness in infants. Since no vaccine or efficient antiviral treatment is available against RSV, it is essential to better understand how the viral machinery functions in order to develop new antiviral strategies. RSV phosphoprotein P, the main RNA polymerase cofactor, is believed to function as a chaperon protein, maintaining N as a nonassembled, RNA-free protein (N0) competent for RNA encapsidation. In this paper, we provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that the N terminus of P contains a domain that binds specifically to this RNA-free form of N. We further show that overexpression of a small peptide spanning this region of P can inhibit viral RNA synthesis. These findings extend our understanding of the function of RSV RNA polymerase and point to a new target for the development of drugs against this virus.

scholarly journals Respiratory Syncytial Virus Inhibitor AZ-27 Differentially Inhibits Different Polymerase Activities at the Promoter

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (15) ◽  
pp. 7786-7798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Noton ◽  
Kartikeya Nagendra ◽  
Ewan F. Dunn ◽  
Michael E. Mawhorter ◽  
Qin Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
Mrna Transcription ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Molecule Inhibitor ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
Further Development

ABSTRACTRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of pediatric respiratory disease. RSV has an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase that transcribes and replicates the viral negative-sense RNA genome. The large polymerase subunit (L) has multiple enzymatic activities, having the capability to synthesize RNA and add and methylate a cap on each of the viral mRNAs. Previous studies (H. Xiong et al., Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 23:6789–6793, 2013,http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.10.018; C. L. Tiong-Yip et al., Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 58:3867–3873, 2014,http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AAC.02540-14) had identified a small-molecule inhibitor, AZ-27, that targets the L protein. In this study, we examined the effect of AZ-27 on different aspects of RSV polymerase activity. AZ-27 was found to inhibit equally both mRNA transcription and genome replication in cell-based minigenome assays, indicating that it inhibits a step common to both of these RNA synthesis processes. Analysis in anin vitrotranscription run-on assay, containing RSV nucleocapsids, showed that AZ-27 inhibits synthesis of transcripts from the 3′ end of the genome to a greater extent than those from the 5′ end, indicating that it inhibits transcription initiation. Consistent with this finding, experiments that assayed polymerase activity on the promoter showed that AZ-27 inhibited transcription and replication initiation. The RSV polymerase also can utilize the promoter sequence to perform a back-priming reaction. Interestingly, addition of AZ-27 had no effect on the addition of up to three nucleotides by back-priming but inhibited further extension of the back-primed RNA. These data provide new information regarding the mechanism of inhibition by AZ-27. They also suggest that the RSV polymerase adopts different conformations to perform its different activities at the promoter.IMPORTANCECurrently, there are no effective antiviral drugs to treat RSV infection. The RSV polymerase is an attractive target for drug development, but this large enzymatic complex is poorly characterized, hampering drug development efforts. AZ-27 is a small-molecule inhibitor previously shown to target the RSV large polymerase subunit (C. L. Tiong-Yip et al., Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 58:3867–3873, 2014,http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AAC.02540-14), but its inhibitory mechanism was unknown. Understanding this would be valuable both for characterizing the polymerase and for further development of inhibitors. Here, we show that AZ-27 inhibits an early stage in mRNA transcription, as well as genome replication, by inhibiting initiation of RNA synthesis from the promoter. However, the compound does not inhibit back priming, another RNA synthesis activity of the RSV polymerase. These findings provide insight into the different activities of the RSV polymerase and will aid further development of antiviral agents against RSV.

scholarly journals Interactome Analysis of the Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus RNA Polymerase Complex Identifies Protein Chaperones as Important Cofactors That Promote L-Protein Stability and RNA Synthesis

2014 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 917-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane C. Munday ◽  
Weining Wu ◽  
Nikki Smith ◽  
Jenna Fix ◽  
Sarah Louise Noton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Virus Replication ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Cellular Proteins ◽  
P Protein ◽  
Protein Chaperones ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
Virus Biology

ABSTRACTThe human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) core viral RNA polymerase comprises the large polymerase protein (L) and its cofactor, the phosphoprotein (P), which associate with the viral ribonucleoprotein complex to replicate the genome and, together with the M2-1 protein, transcribe viral mRNAs. While cellular proteins have long been proposed to be involved in the synthesis of HRSV RNA by associating with the polymerase complex, their characterization has been hindered by the difficulty of purifying the viral polymerase from mammalian cell culture. In this study, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged L- and P-protein expression was coupled with high-affinity anti-GFP antibody-based immunoprecipitation and quantitative proteomics to identify cellular proteins that interacted with either the L- or the P-proteins when expressed as part of a biologically active viral RNP. Several core groups of cellular proteins were identified that interacted with each viral protein including, in both cases, protein chaperones. Ablation of chaperone activity by using small-molecule inhibitors confirmed previously reported studies which suggested that this class of proteins acted as positive viral factors. Inhibition of HSP90 chaperone function in the current study showed that HSP90 is critical for L-protein function and stability, whether in the presence or absence of the P-protein. Inhibition studies suggested that HSP70 also disrupts virus biology and might help the polymerase remodel the nucleocapsid to allow RNA synthesis to occur efficiently. This indicated a proviral role for protein chaperones in HRSV replication and demonstrates that the function of cellular proteins can be targeted as potential therapeutics to disrupt virus replication.IMPORTANCEHuman respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) represents a major health care and economic burden, being the main cause of severe respiratory infections in infants worldwide. No vaccine or effective therapy is available. This study focused on identifying those cellular proteins that potentially interact specifically with the viral proteins that are central to virus replication and transcription, with a view to providing potential targets for the development of a specific, transient therapeutic which disrupts virus biology but prevents the emergence of resistance, while maintaining cell viability. In particular, protein chaperones (heat shock proteins 70 and 90), which aid protein folding and function, were identified. The mechanism by which these chaperones contribute to virus biology was tested, and this study demonstrates to the field that cellular protein chaperones may be required for maintaining the correct folding and therefore functionality of specific proteins within the virus replication complex.

scholarly journals A Single Amino Acid Substitution in the Phosphoprotein of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Confers Thermosensitivity in a Reconstituted RNA Polymerase System

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 5162-5165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony C. Marriott ◽  
Steven D. Wilson ◽  
Jaspal S. Randhawa ◽  
Andrew J. Easton
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
P Gene ◽  
P Protein ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Single Amino Acid Change ◽  
Syncytial Virus

ABSTRACT The single amino acid change Gly172 to Ser in the phosphoprotein (P) of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has previously been shown to be responsible for the thermosensitivity and protein-negative phenotype of tsN19, a mutant of the B subgroup RSN-2 strain. This single change was inserted into the P gene of the A subgroup virus RSS-2, and the resulting phenotype was observed in a plasmid-driven reconstituted RSV RNA polymerase system. Expression from a genome analogue containing two reporter genes was thermosensitive when directed by plasmids containing the N, L, M2, and mutant P genes cloned under the control of T7 promoters. Analysis of RNA synthesis showed that mutant P protein was unable to produce genome, antigenome, or mRNA at the restrictive temperature. At a semipermissive temperature, genome, antigenome, and mRNA synthesis were all reduced, 6- to 30-fold, relative to synthesis directed by a wild-type P plasmid. Binding of the mutant P protein to N protein in the absence of other viral proteins was unaffected by temperature, indicating that the lesion did not produce a large enough structural change to disrupt this binding. These data suggest that the plasmid rescue system is suitable for investigation of the role of thermosensitive mutations in RSV polymerase components in RNA synthesis.

scholarly journals Mechanism of Action for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Inhibitor RSV604

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 1080-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
SreeRupa Challa ◽  
Andrew D. Scott ◽  
Olga Yuzhakov ◽  
Ying Zhou ◽  
Choi Lai Tiong-Yip ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Virus Assembly ◽  
Protein Localization ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Subgenomic Replicon ◽  
N Protein ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
Tract Infections

ABSTRACTRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections in young children and other high-risk populations. RSV nucleoprotein (N) is essential for virus assembly and replication as part of the viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. RSV604 was a putative N inhibitor in phase 2 clinical trials whose molecular mechanism of action (MoA) was not well understood. This study investigated the cell line-dependent potency of RSV604 and demonstrated its direct binding to the N proteinin vitro, providing the first evidence of direct target engagement for this class of inhibitors reported to date. The affinity of RSV604 N binding was not affected by RSV604 resistance mutations in the N protein. RSV604 engaged in two different MoAs in HeLa cells, inhibiting both RSV RNA synthesis and the infectivity of released virus. The lack of inhibition of viral RNA synthesis in some cell lines explained the cell-type-dependent potency of the inhibitor. RSV604 did not inhibit viral RNA synthesis in the RSV subgenomic replicon cells or in the cell-free RNP assay, suggesting that it might act prior to viral replication complex formation. RSV604 did not alter N protein localization in the infected cells. Taken together, these results provide new insights leading to an understanding of the MoAs of RSV604 and other similar N inhibitors.

scholarly journals Factors affecting de novo RNA synthesis and back-priming by the respiratory syncytial virus polymerase

Virology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 462-463 ◽  
pp. 318-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Noton ◽  
Waleed Aljabr ◽  
Julian A. Hiscox ◽  
David A. Matthews ◽  
Rachel Fearns
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Syncytial Virus

scholarly journals RNA Polymerase Activity Assay on Biochips: Correlation between Template DNA Density and RNA Synthesis

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 2107-2109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bok-Hui Lee ◽  
Hyun-Jung Seo ◽  
So-Hyun Kim ◽  
Woong Jung ◽  
Dong-Woon Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Activity Assay ◽  
Rna Polymerase Activity ◽  
Template Dna ◽  
Dna Density

scholarly journals Spatial Perturbations within an RNA Promoter Specifically Recognized by a Viral RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp) Reveal That RdRp Can Adjust Its Promoter Binding Sites

1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 198-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Stevenson Stawicki ◽  
C. Cheng Kao
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Core Promoter ◽  
Brome Mosaic Virus ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Nucleotide Insertions

ABSTRACT RNA synthesis during viral replication requires specific recognition of RNA promoters by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Four nucleotides (−17, −14, −13, and −11) within the brome mosaic virus (BMV) subgenomic core promoter are required for RNA synthesis by the BMV RdRp (R. W. Siegel et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94:11238–11243, 1997). The spatial requirements for these four nucleotides and the initiation (+1) cytidylate were examined in RNAs containing nucleotide insertions and deletions within the BMV subgenomic core promoter. Spatial perturbations between nucleotides −17 and −11 resulted in decreased RNA synthesis in vitro. However, synthesis was still dependent on the key nucleotides identified in the wild-type core promoter and the initiation cytidylate. In contrast, changes between nucleotides −11 and +1 had a less severe effect on RNA synthesis but resulted in RNA products initiated at alternative locations in addition to the +1 cytidylate. The results suggest a degree of flexibility in the recognition of the subgenomic promoter by the BMV RdRp and are compared with functional regions in other DNA and RNA promoters.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document