scholarly journals Genomic but Not Antigenomic Hepatitis Delta Virus RNA Is Preferentially Exported from the Nucleus Immediately after Synthesis and Processing

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 3928-3935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Macnaughton ◽  
Michael M. C. Lai

ABSTRACT Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) contains a viroid-like circular RNA that replicates via a double rolling circle replication mechanism. It is generally assumed that HDV RNA is synthesized and remains exclusively in the nucleus until being exported to the cytoplasm for virion assembly. Using a [32P]orthophosphate metabolic labeling procedure to study HDV RNA replication (T. B. Macnaughton, S. T. Shi, L. E. Modahl, and M. M. C. Lai. J. Virol. 76:3920-3927, 2002), we unexpectedly found that a significant amount of newly synthesized HDV RNA was detected in the cytoplasm. Surprisingly, Northern blot analysis revealed that the genomic-sense HDV RNA is present almost equally in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, whereas antigenomic HDV RNA was mostly retained in the nucleus, suggesting the specific and highly selective export of genomic HDV RNA. Kinetic studies showed that genomic HDV RNA was exported soon after synthesis. However, only the monomer and, to a lesser extent, the dimer HDV RNAs were exported to the cytoplasm; very little higher-molecular-weight HDV RNA species were detected in the cytoplasm. These results suggest that the cleavage and processing of HDV RNA may facilitate RNA export. The export of genomic HDV RNA was resistant to leptomycin B, indicating that a cell region maintenance 1 (Crm1)-independent pathway was involved. The large form of hepatitis delta antigen (L-HDAg), which is responsible for virus packaging, was not required for RNA export, as a mutant HDV RNA genome unable to synthesize L-HDAg was still exported. The proportions of genomic HDV RNA in the nucleus and cytoplasm remained relatively constant throughout replication, indicating that export of genomic HDV RNA occurred continuously. In contrast, while antigenomic HDV RNA was predominately in the nucleus, there was a proportionally large fraction of antigenomic HDV RNA in the cytoplasm at early time points of RNA replication. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized presence of HDV RNA in the cytoplasm, which may have implications for viral RNA synthesis and packaging.

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 3920-3927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Macnaughton ◽  
Stephanie T. Shi ◽  
Lucy E. Modahl ◽  
Michael M. C. Lai

ABSTRACT Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) contains a viroid-like circular RNA that is presumed to replicate via a rolling circle replication mechanism mediated by cellular RNA polymerases. However, the exact mechanism of rolling circle replication for HDV RNA and viroids is not clear. Using our recently described cDNA-free transfection system (L. E. Modahl and M. M. Lai, J. Virol. 72:5449-5456, 1998), we have succeeded in detecting HDV RNA replication by metabolic labeling with [32P]orthophosphate in vivo and obtained direct evidence that HDV RNA replication generates high-molecular-weight multimeric species of HDV RNA, which are processed into monomeric and dimeric forms. Thus, these multimeric RNAs are the true intermediates of HDV RNA replication. We also found that HDV RNA synthesis is highly temperature sensitive, occurring most efficiently at 37 to 40°C and becoming virtually undetectable at temperatures below 30°C. Moreover, genomic HDV RNA synthesis was found to occur at a rate roughly 30-fold higher than that of antigenomic RNA synthesis. Finally, in lysolecithin-permeabilized cells, the synthesis of full-length antigenomic HDV RNA was completely resistant to high concentrations (100 μg/ml) of α-amanitin. In contrast, synthesis of genomic HDV RNA was totally inhibited by α-amanitin at concentrations as low as 2.5 μg/ml. Thus, these results suggest that genomic and antigenomic HDV RNA syntheses are performed by two different host cell enzymes. This observation, combined with our previous finding that hepatitis delta antigen mRNA synthesis is likely performed by RNA polymerase II, suggests that the different HDV RNA species are synthesized by different cellular transcriptional machineries.


RNA Biology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Flores ◽  
Douglas Grubb ◽  
Amine Elleuch ◽  
María-Ángeles Nohales ◽  
Sonia Delgado ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (19) ◽  
pp. 9345-9358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Shun Chen ◽  
Wen-Hung Huang ◽  
Shiao-Ya Hong ◽  
Yeou-Guang Tsay ◽  
Pei-Jer Chen

ABSTRACT The small hepatitis delta virus (HDV) antigen (SHDAg) plays an essential role in HDV RNA double-rolling-circle replication. Several posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of HDAgs, including phosphorylation, acetylation, and methylation, have been characterized. Among the PTMs, the serine 177 residue of SHDAg is a phosphorylation site, and its mutation preferentially abolishes HDV RNA replication from antigenomic RNA to genomic RNA. Using coimmunoprecipitation analysis, the cellular kinases extracellular signal-related kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) are found to be associated with the Flag-tagged SHDAg mutant (Ser-177 replaced with Cys-177). In an in vitro kinase assay, serine 177 of SHDAg was phosphorylated directly by either Flag-ERK1 or Flag-ERK2. Activation of endogenous ERK1/2 by a constitutively active MEK1 (hemagglutinin-AcMEK1) increased phosphorylation of SHDAg at Ser-177; this phosphorylation was confirmed by immunoblotting using an antibody against phosphorylated S177 and mass spectrometric analysis. Interestingly, we found an increase in the HDV replication from antigenomic RNA to genomic RNA but not in that from genomic RNA to antigenomic RNA. The Ser-177 residue was critical for SHDAg interaction with RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), the enzyme proposed to regulate antigenomic RNA replication. These results demonstrate the role of ERK1/2-mediated Ser-177 phosphorylation in modulating HDV antigenomic RNA replication, possibly through RNAPII regulation. The results may shed light on the mechanisms of HDV RNA replication.


2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fu-Tien Liao ◽  
Li-Sung Hsu ◽  
Jiunn-Liang Ko ◽  
Chun-Che Lin ◽  
Gwo-Tarng Sheu

To understand how DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II (pol II) recognizes hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA as a template, it is first necessary to identify the HDV sequence that acts as a promoter of pol II-initiated RNA synthesis. Therefore, we isolated the pol II-response element from HDV cDNA and examined the regulation by hepatitis delta antigens (HDAgs). Two HDV cDNA fragments containing bidirectional promoter activity were identified. One was located at nt 1582–1683 (transcription-promoter region 1, TR-P1) and the other at nt 1223–1363 (transcription-internal region 5, TR-I5). The promoter activities of these two regions were enhanced by HDAgs to differing degrees. Next, the role of these sequences in an HDV cDNA-free RNA replication system was characterized by site-directed mutagenesis. Our data showed that: (i) the AUG codon at the HDAg ORF of HDV RNA (nt 1599–1601) that mutates to UAG (amber stop codon) results in loss of dimeric but not monomeric HDV RNA synthesis. (ii) A 5 nt mutation of TR-P1 (P1-m5, nt 1670–1674) abolishes RNA replication completely. Two-nucleotide-mutated RNA (P1-m2, nt 1662–1663) is able to synthesize short RNAs but not monomeric HDV RNA. (iii) A mutation in 5 nt at the TR-I5 region (I5-m5, nt 1351–1355) also abolishes HDV replication. Mutants with 2 nt mutations (I5-m2, nt 1351–1352) or 3 nt mutations (I5-m3, nt 1353–1355) inhibit HDV dimeric but not monomeric RNA synthesis. Furthermore, large HDAg is expressed in cells transfected with I5-m3 and I5-m2 RNAs and that demonstrate the RNA-editing event in the monomeric HDV RNA. These results provide further understanding of the double rolling-circle mechanism in HDV RNA replication.


Virology ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 197 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei-Ping Tai ◽  
Pei-Jer Chen ◽  
Fu-Lin Chang ◽  
Ding-Shinn Chen

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (16) ◽  
pp. 7375-7380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy E. Modahl ◽  
Michael M. C. Lai

ABSTRACT Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) contains two types of hepatitis delta antigens (HDAg) in the virion. The small form (S-HDAg) is required for HDV RNA replication, whereas the large form (L-HDAg) potently inhibits it by a dominant-negative inhibitory mechanism. The sequential appearance of these two forms in the infected cells regulates HDV RNA synthesis during the viral life cycle. However, the presence of almost equal amounts of S-HDAg and L-HDAg in the virion raised a puzzling question concerning how HDV can escape the inhibitory effects of L-HDAg and initiate RNA replication after infection. In this study, we examined the inhibitory effects of L-HDAg on the synthesis of various HDV RNA species. Using an HDV RNA-based transfection approach devoid of any artificial DNA intermediates, we showed that a small amount of L-HDAg is sufficient to inhibit HDV genomic RNA synthesis from the antigenomic RNA template. However, the synthesis of antigenomic RNA, including both the 1.7-kb HDV RNA and the 0.8-kb HDAg mRNA, from the genomic-sense RNA was surprisingly resistant to inhibition by L-HDAg. The synthesis of these RNAs was inhibited only when L-HDAg was in vast excess over S-HDAg. These results explain why HDV genomic RNA can initiate replication after infection even though the incoming viral genome is complexed with equal amounts of L-HDAg and S-HDAg. These results also suggest that the mechanisms of synthesis of genomic versus antigenomic RNA are different. This study thus resolves a puzzling question about the early events of the HDV life cycle.


Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 368 (6487) ◽  
pp. eaay0688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nimit Jain ◽  
Lucas R. Blauch ◽  
Michal R. Szymanski ◽  
Rhiju Das ◽  
Sindy K. Y. Tang ◽  
...  

Transcription polymerases can exhibit an unusual mode of regenerating certain RNA templates from RNA, yielding systems that can replicate and evolve with RNA as the information carrier. Two classes of pathogenic RNAs (hepatitis delta virus in animals and viroids in plants) are copied by host transcription polymerases. Using in vitro RNA replication by the transcription polymerase of T7 bacteriophage as an experimental model, we identify hundreds of new replicating RNAs, define three mechanistic hallmarks of replication (subterminal de novo initiation, RNA shape-shifting, and interrupted rolling-circle synthesis), and describe emergence from DNA seeds as a mechanism for the origin of novel RNA replicons. These results inform models for the origins and replication of naturally occurring RNA genetic elements and suggest a means by which diverse RNA populations could be propagated as hereditary material in cellular contexts.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (23) ◽  
pp. 13325-13334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Jia Li ◽  
Michael R. Stallcup ◽  
Michael M. C. Lai

ABSTRACT Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) contains a circular RNA which encodes a single protein, hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg). HDAg exists in two forms, a small form (S-HDAg) and a large form (L-HDAg). S-HDAg can transactivate HDV RNA replication. Recent studies have shown that posttranslational modifications, such as phosphorylation and acetylation, of S-HDAg can modulate HDV RNA replication. Here we show that S-HDAg can be methylated by protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT1) in vitro and in vivo. The major methylation site is at arginine-13 (R13), which is in the RGGR motif of an RNA-binding domain. The methylation of S-HDAg is essential for HDV RNA replication, especially for replication of the antigenomic RNA strand to form the genomic RNA strand. An R13A mutation in S-HDAg inhibited HDV RNA replication. The presence of a methylation inhibitor, S-adenosyl-homocysteine, also inhibited HDV RNA replication. We further found that the methylation of S-HDAg affected its subcellular localization. Methylation-defective HDAg lost the ability to form a speckled structure in the nucleus and also permeated into the cytoplasm. These results thus revealed a novel posttranslational modification of HDAg and indicated its importance for HDV RNA replication. This and other results further showed that, unlike replication of the HDV genomic RNA strand, replication of the antigenomic RNA strand requires multiple types of posttranslational modification, including the phosphorylation and methylation of HDAg.


2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (9) ◽  
pp. 4517-4524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingcao Nie ◽  
Jinhong Chang ◽  
John M. Taylor

ABSTRACT Intrinsic to the life cycle of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is the fact that its RNAs undergo different forms of posttranscriptional RNA processing. Transcripts of both the genomic RNA and its exact complement, the antigenomic RNA, undergo ribozyme cleavage and RNA ligation. In addition, antigenomic RNA transcripts can undergo 5′ capping, 3′ polyadenylation, and even RNA editing by an adenosine deaminase. This study focused on the processing of antigenomic RNA transcripts. Two approaches were used to study the relationship between the events of polyadenylation, ribozyme cleavage, and RNA ligation. The first represented an examination under more controlled conditions of mutations in the poly(A) signal, AAUAAA, which is essential for this processing. We found that when a separate stable source of δAg-S, the small delta protein, was provided, the replication ability of the mutated RNA was restored. The second approach involved an examination of the processing in transfected cells of specific Pol II DNA-directed transcripts of HDV antigenomic sequences. The DNA constructs used were such that the RNA transcripts were antigenomic and began at the same 5′ site as the mRNA produced during RNA-directed HDV genome replication. A series of such constructs was assembled in order to test the relative abilities of the transcripts to undergo processing by polyadenylation or ribozyme cleavage at sites further 3′ on a multimer of HDV sequences. The findings from the two experimental approaches led to significant modifications in the rolling-circle model of HDV genome replication.


2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 3819-3827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geetha C. Jayan ◽  
John L. Casey

ABSTRACT Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a subviral human pathogen that uses specific RNA editing activity of the host to produce two essential forms of the sole viral protein, hepatitis delta antigen (HDAg). Editing at the amber/W site of HDV antigenomic RNA leads to the production of the longer form (HDAg-L), which is required for RNA packaging but which is a potent trans-dominant inhibitor of HDV RNA replication. Editing in infected cells is thought to be catalyzed by one or more of the cellular enzymes known as adenosine deaminases that act on RNA (ADARs). We examined the effects of increased ADAR1 and ADAR2 expression on HDV RNA editing and replication in transfected Huh7 cells. We found that both ADARs dramatically increased RNA editing, which was correlated with strong inhibition of HDV RNA replication. While increased HDAg-L production was the primary mechanism of inhibition, we observed at least two additional means by which ADARs can suppress HDV replication. High-level expression of both ADAR1 and ADAR2 led to extensive hyperediting at non-amber/W sites and subsequent production of HDAg variants that acted as trans-dominant inhibitors of HDV RNA replication. Moreover, we also observed weak inhibition of HDV RNA replication by mutated forms of ADARs defective for deaminase activity. Our results indicate that HDV requires highly regulated and selective editing and that the level of ADAR expression can play an important role: overexpression of ADARs inhibits HDV RNA replication and compromises virus viability.


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