Shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs in viruses
What viral RNA genomes lack in size, they make up for in intricacy. Elaborate RNA structures embedded in viral genomes can hijack essential cellular mechanisms aiding virus propagation. Exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs) are an emerging class of viral elements, which resist degradation by host...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-01-01
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Series: | Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal |
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Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2001037021003147 |
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author | Quentin Vicens Jeffrey S. Kieft |
author_facet | Quentin Vicens Jeffrey S. Kieft |
author_sort | Quentin Vicens |
collection | DOAJ |
description | What viral RNA genomes lack in size, they make up for in intricacy. Elaborate RNA structures embedded in viral genomes can hijack essential cellular mechanisms aiding virus propagation. Exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs) are an emerging class of viral elements, which resist degradation by host cellular exoribonucleases to produce viral RNAs with diverse roles during infection. Detailed three-dimensional structural studies of xrRNAs from flaviviruses and a subset of plant viruses led to a mechanistic model in which xrRNAs block enzymatic digestion using a ring-like structure that encircles the 5′ end of the resistant structure. In this mini-review, we describe the state of our understanding of the phylogenetic distribution of xrRNAs, their structures, and their conformational dynamics. Because xrRNAs have now been found in several major superfamilies of RNA viruses, they may represent a more widely used strategy than currently appreciated. Could xrRNAs represent a ‘molecular clock’ that would help us understand virus evolution and pathogenicity? The more we study xrRNAs in viruses, the closer we get to finding xrRNAs within cellular RNAs. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-19T12:26:24Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-3f005c2356b74a99964bb916d6b6714e |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2001-0370 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-19T12:26:24Z |
publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
publisher | Elsevier |
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series | Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal |
spelling | doaj.art-3f005c2356b74a99964bb916d6b6714e2022-12-21T20:21:33ZengElsevierComputational and Structural Biotechnology Journal2001-03702021-01-011943734380Shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs in virusesQuentin Vicens0Jeffrey S. Kieft1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; RNA BioScience Initiative, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Corresponding authors at: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Mail Stop 8101, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; RNA BioScience Initiative, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Corresponding authors at: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Mail Stop 8101, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.What viral RNA genomes lack in size, they make up for in intricacy. Elaborate RNA structures embedded in viral genomes can hijack essential cellular mechanisms aiding virus propagation. Exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs) are an emerging class of viral elements, which resist degradation by host cellular exoribonucleases to produce viral RNAs with diverse roles during infection. Detailed three-dimensional structural studies of xrRNAs from flaviviruses and a subset of plant viruses led to a mechanistic model in which xrRNAs block enzymatic digestion using a ring-like structure that encircles the 5′ end of the resistant structure. In this mini-review, we describe the state of our understanding of the phylogenetic distribution of xrRNAs, their structures, and their conformational dynamics. Because xrRNAs have now been found in several major superfamilies of RNA viruses, they may represent a more widely used strategy than currently appreciated. Could xrRNAs represent a ‘molecular clock’ that would help us understand virus evolution and pathogenicity? The more we study xrRNAs in viruses, the closer we get to finding xrRNAs within cellular RNAs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2001037021003147EvolutionExoribonucleaseStructured viral RNA elementVirusxrRNAXrn1 |
spellingShingle | Quentin Vicens Jeffrey S. Kieft Shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs in viruses Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal Evolution Exoribonuclease Structured viral RNA element Virus xrRNA Xrn1 |
title | Shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs in viruses |
title_full | Shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs in viruses |
title_fullStr | Shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs in viruses |
title_full_unstemmed | Shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs in viruses |
title_short | Shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs in viruses |
title_sort | shared properties and singularities of exoribonuclease resistant rnas in viruses |
topic | Evolution Exoribonuclease Structured viral RNA element Virus xrRNA Xrn1 |
url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2001037021003147 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT quentinvicens sharedpropertiesandsingularitiesofexoribonucleaseresistantrnasinviruses AT jeffreyskieft sharedpropertiesandsingularitiesofexoribonucleaseresistantrnasinviruses |