scholarly journals Importance of the Positive-Strand RNA Secondary Structure of a Murine Coronavirus Defective Interfering RNA Internal Replication Signal in Positive-Strand RNA Synthesis

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 7926-7933 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Repass ◽  
Shinji Makino
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Rna Secondary Structure ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Hepatitis Virus ◽  
Positive Strand ◽  
Positive Strand Rna ◽  
Genomic Regions ◽  
Interfering Rna

ABSTRACT The RNA elements that are required for replication of defective interfering (DI) RNA of the JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) consist of three discontinuous genomic regions: about 0.46 to 0.47 kb from both terminal sequences and an internal 58-nucleotide (nt)-long sequence (58-nt region) present at about 0.9 kb from the 5′ end of the DI genome. The internal region is important for positive-strand DI RNA synthesis (Y. N. Kim and S. Makino, J. Virol. 69:4963–4971, 1995). We further characterized the 58-nt region in the present study and obtained the following results. (i) The positive-strand RNA structure in solution was comparable with that predicted by computer modeling. (ii) Positive-strand RNA secondary structure, but not negative-strand RNA structure, was important for the biological function of the region. (iii) The biological function had a sequence-specific requirement. We discuss possible mechanisms by which the internal cis-acting signal drives MHV positive-strand DI RNA synthesis.

scholarly journals Pervasive RNA Secondary Structure in the Genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Coronaviruses

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Simmonds
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Rna Secondary Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Rna Viruses ◽  
Shielding Effect ◽  
Cellular Interactions ◽  
Folding Energy ◽  
Base Pairing ◽  
Positive Strand Rna

ABSTRACT The ultimate outcome of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unknown and is dependent on a complex interplay of its pathogenicity, transmissibility, and population immunity. In the current study, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was investigated for the presence of large-scale internal RNA base pairing in its genome. This property, termed genome-scale ordered RNA structure (GORS) has been previously associated with host persistence in other positive-strand RNA viruses, potentially through its shielding effect on viral RNA recognition in the cell. Genomes of SARS-CoV-2 were remarkably structured, with minimum folding energy differences (MFEDs) of 15%, substantially greater than previously examined viruses such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) (MFED of 7 to 9%). High MFED values were shared with all coronavirus genomes analyzed and created by several hundred consecutive energetically favored stem-loops throughout the genome. In contrast to replication-associated RNA structure, GORS was poorly conserved in the positions and identities of base pairing with other sarbecoviruses—even similarly positioned stem-loops in SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV rarely shared homologous pairings, indicative of more rapid evolutionary change in RNA structure than in the underlying coding sequences. Sites predicted to be base paired in SARS-CoV-2 showed less sequence diversity than unpaired sites, suggesting that disruption of RNA structure by mutation imposes a fitness cost on the virus that is potentially restrictive to its longer evolution. Although functionally uncharacterized, GORS in SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses represents important elements in their cellular interactions that may contribute to their persistence and transmissibility. IMPORTANCE The detection and characterization of large-scale RNA secondary structure in the genome of SARS-CoV-2 indicate an extraordinary and unsuspected degree of genome structural organization; this could be effectively visualized through a newly developed contour plotting method that displays positions, structural features, and conservation of RNA secondary structure between related viruses. Such RNA structure imposes a substantial evolutionary cost; paired sites showed greater restriction in diversity and represent a substantial additional constraint in reconstructing its molecular epidemiology. Its biological relevance arises from previously documented associations between possession of structured genomes and persistence, as documented for HCV and several other RNA viruses infecting humans and mammals. Shared properties potentially conferred by large-scale structure in SARS-CoV-2 include increasing evidence for prolonged infections and induced immune dysfunction that prevents development of protective immunity. The findings provide an additional element to cellular interactions that potentially influences the natural history of SARS-CoV-2, its pathogenicity, and its transmission.

scholarly journals Poliovirus CRE-Dependent VPg Uridylylation Is Required for Positive-Strand RNA Synthesis but Not for Negative-Strand RNA Synthesis

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (8) ◽  
pp. 4739-4750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth E. Murray ◽  
David J. Barton
Keyword(s):  
Rna Structure ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Rna Replication ◽  
Stem Loop ◽  
Positive Strand ◽  
Negative Strand ◽  
Step Model ◽  
Positive Strand Rna

ABSTRACT The cis-acting replication element (CRE) is a 61-nucleotide stem-loop RNA structure found within the coding sequence of poliovirus protein 2C. Although the CRE is required for viral RNA replication, its precise role(s) in negative- and positive-strand RNA synthesis has not been defined. Adenosine in the loop of the CRE RNA structure functions as the template for the uridylylation of the viral protein VPg. VPgpUpUOH, the predominant product of CRE-dependent VPg uridylylation, is a putative primer for the poliovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. By examining the sequential synthesis of negative- and positive-strand RNAs within preinitiation RNA replication complexes, we found that mutations that disrupt the structure of the CRE prevent VPg uridylylation and positive-strand RNA synthesis. The CRE mutations that inhibited the synthesis of VPgpUpUOH, however, did not inhibit negative-strand RNA synthesis. A Y3F mutation in VPg inhibited both VPgpUpUOH synthesis and negative-strand RNA synthesis, confirming the critical role of the tyrosine hydroxyl of VPg in VPg uridylylation and negative-strand RNA synthesis. trans-replication experiments demonstrated that the CRE and VPgpUpUOH were not required in cis or in trans for poliovirus negative-strand RNA synthesis. Because these results are inconsistent with existing models of poliovirus RNA replication, we propose a new four-step model that explains the roles of VPg, the CRE, and VPgpUpUOH in the asymmetric replication of poliovirus RNA.

Predicting RNA Secondary Structure Using a Improved BPSO Based on Stem Combination

2013 ◽  
Vol 325-326 ◽  
pp. 1551-1554
Author(s):  
Yi Qi
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Structure Prediction ◽  
Rna Secondary Structure ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
New Method ◽  
Rna Structure Prediction ◽  
New Strategies

In this paper, we present an improved BPSO to predict RNA secondary structure to improve the performance with two new strategies. First one is to reduce the searching space of PSO through super stem set construction. Second is to modify the general BPSO updating process to settle stem permutation and combination problems. The experimental results show that the new method is effective for RNA structure prediction in terms of sensitivity and specificity by different sequence datasets including simple pseudoknot.

scholarly journals Differential Rescue of Poliovirus RNA Replication Functions by Genetically Modified RNA Polymerase Precursors

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (23) ◽  
pp. 13007-13018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher T. Cornell ◽  
Jo Ellen Brunner ◽  
Bert L. Semler
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Rna Replication ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
In Vitro Translation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Positive Strand ◽  
Positive Strand Rna

ABSTRACT We have previously described the RNA replication properties of poliovirus transcripts harboring chimeric RNA polymerase sequences representing suballelic exchanges between poliovirus type 1 (PV1) and coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) utilizing an in vitro translation and RNA replication assay (C. Cornell, R. Perera, J. E. Brunner, and B. L. Semler, J. Virol. 78:4397-4407, 2004). We showed that three of the seven chimeras were capable of RNA replication in vitro, although replication levels were greatly reduced compared to that of wild-type transcripts. Interestingly, one of the replication-competent transcripts displayed a strand-specific RNA synthesis defect suggesting (i) a differential replication complex assembly mechanism involving 3D and/or precursor molecules (i.e., 3CD) required for negative- versus positive-strand RNA synthesis or (ii) effect(s) on the ability of the 3D polymerase to form higher-ordered structures required for positive-strand RNA synthesis. In this study, we have attempted to rescue defective RNA replication in vitro by cotranslating nonstructural proteins from a transcript encoding a large precursor polyprotein (P3) to complement 3D polymerase and/or precursor polypeptide functions altered in each of the chimeric constructs. Utilization of a wild-type P3 construct revealed that all transcripts containing chimeric PV1/CVB3 polymerase sequences can be complemented in trans for both negative- and positive-strand RNA synthesis. Furthermore, data from experiments utilizing genetically modified forms of the P3 polyprotein, containing mutations within 3C or 3D sequences, strongly suggest the existence of different protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions required for positive- versus negative-strand RNA synthesis. These results, combined with data from in vitro RNA elongation assays, indicate that the delivery of active 3D RNA polymerase to replication complexes requires a series of macromolecular interactions that rely on the presence of specific 3D amino acid sequences.

scholarly journals Secondary Structure and Hybridization Accessibility of Hepatitis C Virus 3′-Terminal Sequences

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (19) ◽  
pp. 9563-9574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Smith ◽  
Cherie M. Walton ◽  
Catherine H. Wu ◽  
George Y. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C Virus ◽  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Genome Stability ◽  
Rnase H ◽  
Hcv Rna ◽  
Positive Strand ◽  
Negative Strand

ABSTRACT The 3′-terminal sequences of hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive- and negative-strand RNAs contribute cis-acting functions essential for viral replication. The secondary structure and protein-binding properties of these highly conserved regions are of interest not only for the further elucidation of HCV molecular biology, but also for the design of antisense therapeutic constructs. The RNA structure of the positive-strand 3′ untranslated region has been shown previously to influence binding by various host and viral proteins and is thus thought to promote HCV RNA synthesis and genome stability. Recent studies have attributed analogous functions to the negative-strand 3′ terminus. We evaluated the HCV negative-strand secondary structure by enzymatic probing with single-strand-specific RNases and thermodynamic modeling of RNA folding. The accessibility of both 3′-terminal sequences to hybridization by antisense constructs was evaluated by RNase H cleavage mapping in the presence of combinatorial oligodeoxynucleotide libraries. The mapping results facilitated identification of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides and a 10-23 deoxyribozyme active against the positive-strand 3′-X region RNA in vitro.

scholarly journals Mutational Analysis of the Rubella Virus Nonstructural Polyprotein and Its Cleavage Products in Virus Replication and RNA Synthesis

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 5133-5141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuying Liang ◽  
Shirley Gillam
Keyword(s):  
Virus Replication ◽  
Rubella Virus ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Rnase Protection Assay ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Nonstructural Proteins ◽  
Rnase Protection ◽  
Positive Strand ◽  
Negative Strand ◽  
Positive Strand Rna

ABSTRACT Rubella virus nonstructural proteins, translated from input genomic RNA as a p200 polyprotein and subsequently processed into p150 and p90 by an intrinsic papain-like thiol protease, are responsible for virus replication. To examine the effect of p200 processing on virus replication and to study the roles of nonstructural proteins in viral RNA synthesis, we introduced into a rubella virus infectious cDNA clone a panel of mutations that had variable defective effects on p200 processing. The virus yield and viral RNA synthesis of these mutants were examined. Mutations that completely abolished (C1152S and G1301S) or largely abolished (G1301A) cleavage of p200 resulted in noninfectious virus. Mutations that partially impaired cleavage of p200 (R1299A and G1300A) decreased virus replication. An RNase protection assay revealed that all of the mutants synthesized negative-strand RNA as efficiently as the wild type does but produced lower levels of positive-strand RNA. Our results demonstrated that processing of rubella virus nonstructural protein is crucial for virus replication and that uncleaved p200 could function in negative-strand RNA synthesis, whereas the cleavage products p150 and p90 are required for efficient positive-strand RNA synthesis.

scholarly journals Strand-Specific RNA Synthesis Defects in a Poliovirus with a Mutation in Protein 3A

2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (23) ◽  
pp. 12679-12691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalya L. Teterina ◽  
Mario S. Rinaudo ◽  
Ellie Ehrenfeld
Keyword(s):  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Positive Strand ◽  
Polyprotein Processing ◽  
Delayed Onset ◽  
Methionine Residue ◽  
Cell Extracts ◽  
Positive Strand Rna

ABSTRACT Substitution of a methionine residue at position 79 in poliovirus protein 3A with valine or threonine caused defective viral RNA synthesis, manifested as delayed onset and reduced yield of viral RNA, in HeLa cells transfected with a luciferase-containing replicon. Viruses containing these same mutations produced small or minute plaques that generated revertants upon further passage, with either wild-type 3A sequences or additional nearby compensating mutations. Translation and polyprotein processing were not affected by the mutations, and 3AB proteins containing the altered amino acids at position 79 showed no detectable loss of membrane-binding activity. Analysis of individual steps of viral RNA synthesis in HeLa cell extracts that support translation and replication of viral RNA showed that VPg uridylylation and negative-strand RNA synthesis occurred normally from mutant viral RNA; however, positive-strand RNA synthesis was specifically reduced. The data suggest that a function of viral protein 3A is required for positive-strand RNA synthesis but not for production of negative strands.

scholarly journals Murine Hepatitis Virus Nonstructural Protein 4 Regulates Virus-Induced Membrane Modifications and Replication Complex Function

2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 280-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Gadlage ◽  
Jennifer S. Sparks ◽  
Dia C. Beachboard ◽  
Reagan G. Cox ◽  
Joshua D. Doyle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Hepatitis Virus ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Complex Function ◽  
Microscopic Analysis ◽  
Murine Hepatitis Virus ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Virus Growth ◽  
Positive Strand Rna

ABSTRACT Positive-strand RNA viruses induce modifications of cytoplasmic membranes to form replication complexes. For coronaviruses, replicase nonstructural protein 4 (nsp4) has been proposed to function in the formation and organization of replication complexes. Murine hepatitis virus (MHV) nsp4 is glycosylated at residues Asn176 (N176) and N237 during plasmid expression of nsp4 in cells. To test if MHV nsp4 residues N176 and N237 are glycosylated during virus replication and to determine the effects of N176 and N237 on nsp4 function and MHV replication, alanine substitutions of nsp4 N176, N237, or both were engineered into the MHV-A59 genome. The N176A, N237A, and N176A/N237A mutant viruses were viable, and N176 and N237 were glycosylated during infection of wild-type (wt) and mutant viruses. The nsp4 glycosylation mutants exhibited impaired virus growth and RNA synthesis, with the N237A and N176A/N237A mutant viruses demonstrating more profound defects in virus growth and RNA synthesis. Electron microscopic analysis of ultrastructure from infected cells demonstrated that the nsp4 mutants had aberrant morphology of virus-induced double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) compared to those infected with wt virus. The degree of altered DMV morphology directly correlated with the extent of impairment in viral RNA synthesis and virus growth of the nsp4 mutant viruses. The results indicate that nsp4 plays a critical role in the organization and stability of DMVs. The results also support the conclusion that the structure of DMVs is essential for efficient RNA synthesis and optimal replication of coronaviruses.

scholarly journals Bioinformatic and Physical Characterizations of Genome-Scale Ordered RNA Structure in Mammalian RNA Viruses

2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (23) ◽  
pp. 11824-11836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Davis ◽  
Selena M. Sagan ◽  
John P. Pezacki ◽  
David J. Evans ◽  
Peter Simmonds
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Rna Secondary Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Rna Viruses ◽  
Plant Viruses ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Conserved Sequence ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Genome Scale

ABSTRACT By the analysis of thermodynamic RNA secondary structure predictions, we previously obtained evidence for evolutionarily conserved large-scale ordering of RNA virus genomes (P. Simmonds, A. Tuplin, and D. J. Evans, RNA 10:1337-1351, 2004). Genome-scale ordered RNA structure (GORS) was widely distributed in many animal and plant viruses, much greater in extent than RNA structures required for viral translation or replication, but in mammalian viruses was associated with host persistence. To substantiate the existence of large-scale RNA structure differences between viruses, a large set of alignments of mammalian RNA viruses and rRNA sequences as controls were examined by thermodynamic methods (to calculate minimum free energy differences) and by algorithmically independent RNAz and Pfold methods. These methods produced generally concordant results and identified substantial differences in the degrees of evolutionarily conserved, sequence order-dependent RNA secondary structure between virus genera and groups. A probe hybridization accessibility assay was used to investigate the physical nature of GORS. Transcripts of hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis G virus/GB virus-C (HGV/GBV-C), and murine norovirus, which are predicted to be structured, were largely inaccessible to hybridization in solution, in contrast to the almost universal binding of probes to a range of unstructured virus transcripts irrespective of G+C content. Using atomic force microscopy, HCV and HGV/GBV-C RNA was visualized as tightly compacted prolate spheroids, while under the same experimental conditions the predicted unstructured poliovirus and rubella virus RNA were pleomorphic and had extensively single-stranded RNA on deposition. Bioinformatic and physical characterization methods both identified fundamental differences in the configurations of viral genomic RNA that may modify their interactions with host cell defenses and their ability to persist.

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