scholarly journals Helicase and Capping Enzyme Active Site Mutations in Brome Mosaic Virus Protein 1a Cause Defects in Template Recruitment, Negative-Strand RNA Synthesis, and Viral RNA Capping

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (19) ◽  
pp. 8803-8811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tero Ahola ◽  
Johan A. den Boon ◽  
Paul Ahlquist

ABSTRACT Brome mosaic virus (BMV) encodes two RNA replication proteins: 1a, which contains RNA capping and helicase-like domains, and 2a, which is related to polymerases. BMV 1a and 2a can direct virus-specific RNA replication in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which reproduces the known features of BMV replication in plant cells. We constructed single amino acid point mutations at the predicted capping and helicase active sites of 1a and analyzed their effects on BMV RNA3 replication in yeast. The helicase mutants showed no function in any assays used: they were strongly defective in template recruitment for RNA replication, as measured by 1a-induced stabilization of RNA3, and they synthesized no detectable negative-strand or subgenomic RNA. Capping domain mutants divided into two groups. The first exhibited increased template recruitment but nevertheless allowed only low levels of negative-strand and subgenomic mRNA synthesis. The second was strongly defective in template recruitment, made very low levels of negative strands, and made no detectable subgenomes. To distinguish between RNA synthesis and capping defects, we deleted chromosomal geneXRN1, encoding the major exonuclease that degrades uncapped mRNAs. XRN1 deletion suppressed the second but not the first group of capping mutants, allowing synthesis and accumulation of large amounts of uncapped subgenomic mRNAs, thus providing direct evidence for the importance of the viral RNA capping function. The helicase and capping enzyme mutants showed no complementation. Instead, at high levels of expression, a helicase mutant dominantly interfered with the function of the wild-type protein. These results are discussed in relation to the interconnected functions required for different steps of positive-strand RNA virus replication.

2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 2097-2106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wai-Ming Lee ◽  
Masayuki Ishikawa ◽  
Paul Ahlquist

ABSTRACT All positive-strand RNA viruses assemble their RNA replication complexes on intracellular membranes. Brome mosaic virus (BMV) replicates its RNA in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated complexes in plant cells and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BMV encodes RNA replication factors 1a, with domains implicated in RNA capping and helicase functions, and 2a, with a central polymerase-like domain. Factor 1a interacts independently with the ER membrane, viral RNA templates, and factor 2a to form RNA replication complexes on the perinuclear ER. We show that BMV RNA replication is severely inhibited by a mutation in OLE1, an essential yeast chromosomal gene encoding Δ9 fatty acid desaturase, an integral ER membrane protein and the first enzyme in unsaturated fatty acid synthesis.OLE1 deletion and medium supplementation show that BMV RNA replication requires unsaturated fatty acids, not the Ole1 protein, and that viral RNA replication is much more sensitive than yeast growth to reduced unsaturated fatty acid levels. In ole1 mutant yeast, 1a still becomes membrane associated, recruits 2a to the membrane, and recognizes and stabilizes viral RNA templates normally. However, RNA replication is blocked prior to initiation of negative-strand RNA synthesis. The results show that viral RNA synthesis is highly sensitive to lipid composition and suggest that proper membrane fluidity or plasticity is essential for an early step in RNA replication. The strong unsaturated fatty acid dependence also demonstrates that modulating fatty acid balance can be an effective antiviral strategy.


2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 4094-4106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amine O. Noueiry ◽  
Juana Diez ◽  
Shaun P. Falk ◽  
Jianbo Chen ◽  
Paul Ahlquist

ABSTRACT Previously, we used the ability of the higher eukaryotic positive-strand RNA virus brome mosaic virus (BMV) to replicate in yeast to show that the yeast LSM1 gene is required for recruiting BMV RNA from translation to replication. Here we extend this observation to show that Lsm1p and other components of the Lsm1p-Lsm7p/Pat1p deadenylation-dependent mRNA decapping complex were also required for translating BMV RNAs. Inhibition of BMV RNA translation was selective, with no effect on general cellular translation. We show that viral genomic RNAs suitable for RNA replication were already distinguished from nonreplication templates at translation, well before RNA recruitment to replication. Among mRNA turnover pathways, only factors specific for deadenylated mRNA decapping were required for BMV RNA translation. Dependence on these factors was not only a consequence of the nonpolyadenylated nature of BMV RNAs but also involved the combined effects of the viral 5′ and 3′ noncoding regions and 2a polymerase open reading frame. High-resolution sucrose density gradient analysis showed that, while mutating factors in the Lsm1p-7p/Pat1p complex completely inhibited viral RNA translation, the levels of viral RNA associated with ribosomes were only slightly reduced in mutant yeast. This polysome association was further verified by using a conditional allele of essential translation initiation factor PRT1, which markedly decreased polysome association of viral genomic RNA in the presence or absence of an LSM7 mutation. Together, these results show that a defective Lsm1p-7p/Pat1p complex inhibits BMV RNA translation primarily by stalling or slowing the elongation of ribosomes along the viral open reading frame. Thus, factors in the Lsm1p-7p/Pat1p complex function not only in mRNA decapping but also in translation, and both translation and recruitment of BMV RNAs to viral RNA replication are regulated by a cell pathway that transfers mRNAs from translation to degradation.


2003 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 2990-2997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriko Tomita ◽  
Tomomitsu Mizuno ◽  
Juana Díez ◽  
Satoshi Naito ◽  
Paul Ahlquist ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The replication of positive-strand RNA viruses involves not only viral proteins but also multiple cellular proteins and intracellular membranes. In both plant cells and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, brome mosaic virus (BMV), a member of the alphavirus-like superfamily, replicates its RNA in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated complexes containing viral 1a and 2a proteins. Prior to negative-strand RNA synthesis, 1a localizes to ER membranes and recruits both positive-strand BMV RNA templates and the polymerase-like 2a protein to ER membranes. Here, we show that BMV RNA replication in S. cerevisiae is markedly inhibited by a mutation in the host YDJ1 gene, which encodes a chaperone Ydj1p related to Escherichia coli DnaJ. In the ydj1 mutant, negative-strand RNA accumulation was inhibited even though 1a protein associated with membranes and the positive-strand RNA3 replication template and 2a protein were recruited to membranes as in wild-type cells. In addition, we found that in ydj1 mutant cells but not wild-type cells, a fraction of 2a protein accumulated in a membrane-free but insoluble, rapidly sedimenting form. These and other results show that Ydj1p is involved in forming BMV replication complexes active in negative-strand RNA synthesis and suggest that a chaperone system involving Ydj1p participates in 2a protein folding or assembly into the active replication complex.


2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (7) ◽  
pp. E1282-E1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiwamu Hyodo ◽  
Kenji Hashimoto ◽  
Kazuyuki Kuchitsu ◽  
Nobuhiro Suzuki ◽  
Tetsuro Okuno

As sessile organisms, plants have to accommodate to rapid changes in their surrounding environment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as signaling molecules to transduce biotic and abiotic stimuli into plant stress adaptations. It is established that a respiratory burst oxidase homolog B of Nicotiana benthamiana (NbRBOHB) produces ROS in response to microbe-associated molecular patterns to inhibit pathogen infection. Plant viruses are also known as causative agents of ROS induction in infected plants; however, the function of ROS in plant–virus interactions remains obscure. Here, we show that the replication of red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV), a plant positive-strand RNA [(+)RNA] virus, requires NbRBOHB-mediated ROS production. The RCNMV replication protein p27 plays a pivotal role in this process, redirecting the subcellular localization of NbRBOHB and a subgroup II calcium-dependent protein kinase of N. benthamiana (NbCDPKiso2) from the plasma membrane to the p27-containing intracellular aggregate structures. p27 also induces an intracellular ROS burst in an RBOH-dependent manner. NbCDPKiso2 was shown to be an activator of the p27-triggered ROS accumulations and to be required for RCNMV replication. Importantly, this RBOH-derived ROS is essential for robust viral RNA replication. The need for RBOH-derived ROS was demonstrated for the replication of another (+)RNA virus, brome mosaic virus, suggesting that this characteristic is true for plant (+)RNA viruses. Collectively, our findings revealed a hitherto unknown viral strategy whereby the host ROS-generating machinery is diverted for robust viral RNA replication.


1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 10303-10309 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Restrepo-Hartwig ◽  
Paul Ahlquist

ABSTRACT The universal membrane association of positive-strand RNA virus RNA replication complexes is implicated in their function, but the intracellular membranes used vary among viruses. Brome mosaic virus (BMV) encodes two mutually interacting RNA replication proteins: 1a, which contains RNA capping and helicase-like domains, and the polymerase-like 2a protein. In cells from the natural plant hosts of BMV, 1a and 2a colocalize on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). 1a and 2a also direct BMV RNA replication and subgenomic mRNA synthesis in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but whether the distribution of 1a, 2a, and active replication complexes in yeast duplicates that in plant cells has not been determined. For yeast expressing 1a and 2a and replicating BMV genomic RNA3, we used double-label confocal immunofluorescence to define the localization of 1a, 2a, and viral RNA and to explore the determinants of replication complex targeting. As in plant cells, 1a and 2a colocalized on and were retained on the yeast ER, with no detectable accumulation in the Golgi apparatus. 1a and 2a were distributed over most of the ER surface, with strongest accumulation on the perinuclear ER. In vivo labeling with bromo-UTP showed that the sites of 1a and 2a accumulation were the sites of nascent viral RNA synthesis. In situ hybridization showed that completed viral RNA products accumulated predominantly in the immediate vicinity of replication complexes but that some, possibly more mature cells also accumulated substantial viral RNA in the surrounding cytoplasm distal to replication complexes. Additionally, we find that 1a localizes to the ER when expressed in the absence of other viral factors. These results show that BMV RNA replication in yeast duplicates the normal localization of replication complexes, reveal the intracellular distribution of RNA replication products, and show that 1a is at least partly responsible for the ER localization and retention of the RNA replication complex.


2006 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. M. van Ooij ◽  
Dorothee A. Vogt ◽  
Aniko Paul ◽  
Christian Castro ◽  
Judith Kuijpers ◽  
...  

A stem–loop element located within the 2C-coding region of the coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) genome has been proposed to function as a cis-acting replication element (CRE). It is shown here that disruption of this structure indeed interfered with viral RNA replication in vivo and abolished uridylylation of VPg in vitro. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that the previously proposed enteroviral CRE consensus loop sequence, R1NNNAAR2NNNNNNR3, is also applicable to CVB3 CRE(2C) and that a positive correlation exists between the ability of CRE(2C) mutants to serve as template in the uridylylation reaction and the capacity of these mutants to support viral RNA replication. To further investigate the effects of the mutations on negative-strand RNA synthesis, an in vitro translation/replication system containing HeLa S10 cell extracts was used. Similar to the results observed for poliovirus and rhinovirus, it was found that a complete disruption of the CRE(2C) structure interfered with positive-strand RNA synthesis, but not with negative-strand synthesis. All CRE(2C) point mutants affecting the enteroviral CRE consensus loop, however, showed a marked decrease in efficiency to induce negative-strand synthesis. Moreover, a transition (A5G) regarding the first templating adenosine residue in the loop was even unable to initiate complementary negative-strand synthesis above detectable levels. Taken together, these results indicate that the CVB3 CRE(2C) is not only required for the initiation of positive-strand RNA synthesis, but also plays an essential role in the efficient initiation of negative-strand RNA synthesis, a conclusion that has not been reached previously by using the cell-free system.


2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (19) ◽  
pp. 9400-9408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin P. Steil ◽  
David J. Barton

ABSTRACT Initiation of RNA synthesis by RNA-dependent RNA polymerases occurs when a phosphodiester bond is formed between the first two nucleotides in the 5′ terminus of product RNA. The concentration of initiating nucleoside triphosphates (NTPi) required for RNA synthesis is typically greater than the concentration of NTPs required for elongation. VPg, a small viral protein, is covalently attached to the 5′ end of picornavirus negative- and positive-strand RNAs. A cis-acting replication element (CRE) within picornavirus RNAs serves as a template for the uridylylation of VPg, resulting in the synthesis of VPgpUpUOH. Mutations within the CRE RNA structure prevent VPg uridylylation. While the tyrosine hydroxyl of VPg can prime negative-strand RNA synthesis in a CRE- and VPgpUpUOH-independent manner, CRE-dependent VPgpUpUOH synthesis is absolutely required for positive-strand RNA synthesis. As reported herein, low concentrations of UTP did not support negative-strand RNA synthesis when CRE-disrupting mutations prevented VPg uridylylation, whereas correspondingly low concentrations of CTP or GTP had no negative effects on the magnitude of CRE-independent negative-strand RNA synthesis. The experimental data indicate that CRE-dependent VPg uridylylation lowers the Km of UTP required for viral RNA replication and that CRE-dependent VPgpUpUOH synthesis was required for efficient negative-strand RNA synthesis, especially when UTP concentrations were limiting. By lowering the concentration of UTP needed for the initiation of RNA replication, CRE-dependent VPg uridylylation provides a mechanism for a more robust initiation of RNA replication.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (9) ◽  
pp. 4310-4318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianbo Chen ◽  
Paul Ahlquist

ABSTRACT Brome mosaic virus (BMV), a positive-strand RNA virus in the alphavirus-like superfamily, encodes RNA replication proteins 1a and 2a. 1a contains a C-terminal helicase-like domain and an N-terminal domain implicated in viral RNA capping, and 2a contains a central polymerase-like domain. 1a and 2a colocalize in an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated replication complex that is the site of BMV-specific RNA-dependent RNA synthesis in plant and yeast cells. 1a also localizes to the ER in the absence of 2a or viral RNA replication templates. To investigate the determinants of 2a localization, we fused 2a to the green fluorescent protein (GFP), creating a functional GFP-2a fusion that supported BMV RNA replication and subgenomic mRNA transcription. In the absence of 1a, the GFP-2a fusion was found to be diffused throughout the cytoplasm and in punctate spots not associated with any cytoplasmic organelle so far tested. Formation of these spots was dependent on the C-terminal half of 2a and may represent aggregation of a fraction of 2a. When coexpressed with 1a, GFP-2a colocalized with 1a and ER-resident protein Kar2p in a partial or complete ring around the nucleus. Consistent with these results, cell fractionation showed that both the GFP-2a fusion and wild-type (wt) 2a remained soluble when expressed alone, while in cells coexpressing 1a, most of the GFP-2a fusion or wt 2a cofractionated with 1a in the rapidly sedimenting membrane fraction. Deletion analysis showed that the N-terminal 120-amino-acid segment of 2a, containing one of two 2a regions previously shown to interact with 1a, was necessary and sufficient for 1a-directed localization of GFP-2a derivatives to the ER. These results suggest that 1a, which also interacts independently with the ER and viral RNA, is a key organizer of RNA replication complex assembly.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (24) ◽  
pp. 12370-12381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan A. den Boon ◽  
Jianbo Chen ◽  
Paul Ahlquist

ABSTRACT RNA replication of all positive-strand RNA viruses is closely associated with intracellular membranes. Brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNA replication occurs on the perinuclear region of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), both in its natural plant host and in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae. The only viral component in the BMV RNA replication complex that localizes independently to the ER is 1a, a multifunctional protein with an N-terminal RNA capping domain and a C-terminal helicase-like domain. The other viral replication components, the RNA polymerase-like protein 2a and the RNA template, depend on 1a for recruitment to the ER. We show here that, in membrane extracts, 1a is fully susceptible to proteolytic digestion in the absence of detergent and thus, a finding consistent with its roles in RNA replication, is wholly or predominantly on the cytoplasmic face of the ER with no detectable lumenal protrusions. Nevertheless, 1a association with membranes is resistant to high-salt and high-pH treatments that release most peripheral membrane proteins. Membrane flotation gradient analysis of 1a deletion variants and 1a segments fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) showed that sequences in the N-terminal RNA capping module of 1a mediate membrane association. In particular, a region C-terminal to the core methyltransferase homology was sufficient for high-affinity ER membrane association. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy showed that even though these determinants mediate ER localization, they fail to localize GFP to the narrow region of the perinuclear ER, where full-length 1a normally resides. Instead, they mediate a more globular or convoluted distribution of ER markers. Thus, additional sequences in 1a that are distinct from the primary membrane association determinants contribute to 1a's normal subcellular distribution, possibly through effects on 1a conformation, orientation, or multimerization on the membrane.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 6918-6931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeo Nagashima ◽  
Jun Sasaki ◽  
Koki Taniguchi

ABSTRACT Aichi virus is a member of the family Picornaviridae. It has already been shown that three stem-loop structures (SL-A, SL-B, and SL-C, from the 5′ end) formed at the 5′ end of the genome are critical elements for viral RNA replication. In this study, we further characterized the 5′-terminal cis-acting replication elements. We found that an additional structural element, a pseudoknot structure, is formed through base-pairing interaction between the loop segment of SL-B (nucleotides [nt] 57 to 60) and a sequence downstream of SL-C (nt 112 to 115) and showed that the formation of this pseudoknot is critical for viral RNA replication. Mapping of the 5′-terminal sequence of the Aichi virus genome required for RNA replication using a series of Aichi virus-encephalomyocarditis virus chimera replicons indicated that the 5′-end 115 nucleotides including the pseudoknot structure are the minimum requirement for RNA replication. Using the cell-free translation-replication system, we examined the abilities of viral RNAs with a lethal mutation in the 5′-terminal structural elements to synthesize negative- and positive-strand RNAs. The results showed that the formation of three stem-loops and the pseudoknot structure at the 5′ end of the genome is required for negative-strand RNA synthesis. In addition, specific nucleotide sequences in the stem of SL-A or its complementary sequences at the 3′ end of the negative-strand were shown to be critical for the initiation of positive-strand RNA synthesis but not for that of negative-strand synthesis. Thus, the 5′ end of the Aichi virus genome encodes elements important for not only negative-strand synthesis but also positive-strand synthesis.


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