Using the Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase as a Model to Understand Viral Polymerase Structure, Function and Dynamics
Viral polymerases replicate and transcribe the genomes of several viruses of global health concern such as Hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Ebola virus. For this reason they are key targets for therapies to treat viral infections. Although there is little sequence simi...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-07-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/7/7/2808 |
| _version_ | 1819327138609758208 |
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| author | Ester Sesmero Ian F. Thorpe |
| author_facet | Ester Sesmero Ian F. Thorpe |
| author_sort | Ester Sesmero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Viral polymerases replicate and transcribe the genomes of several viruses of global health concern such as Hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Ebola virus. For this reason they are key targets for therapies to treat viral infections. Although there is little sequence similarity across the different types of viral polymerases, all of them present a right-hand shape and certain structural motifs that are highly conserved. These features allow their functional properties to be compared, with the goal of broadly applying the knowledge acquired from studying specific viral polymerases to other viral polymerases about which less is known. Here we review the structural and functional properties of the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5B) in order to understand the fundamental processes underlying the replication of viral genomes. We discuss recent insights into the process by which RNA replication occurs in NS5B as well as the role that conformational changes play in this process. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T13:06:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b14b4ebd4e494df8ad7390c3629fad6b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T13:06:05Z |
| publishDate | 2015-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-b14b4ebd4e494df8ad7390c3629fad6b2022-12-21T16:54:01ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152015-07-01773974399410.3390/v7072808v7072808Using the Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase as a Model to Understand Viral Polymerase Structure, Function and DynamicsEster Sesmero0Ian F. Thorpe1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USADepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USAViral polymerases replicate and transcribe the genomes of several viruses of global health concern such as Hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Ebola virus. For this reason they are key targets for therapies to treat viral infections. Although there is little sequence similarity across the different types of viral polymerases, all of them present a right-hand shape and certain structural motifs that are highly conserved. These features allow their functional properties to be compared, with the goal of broadly applying the knowledge acquired from studying specific viral polymerases to other viral polymerases about which less is known. Here we review the structural and functional properties of the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5B) in order to understand the fundamental processes underlying the replication of viral genomes. We discuss recent insights into the process by which RNA replication occurs in NS5B as well as the role that conformational changes play in this process.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/7/7/2808positive-strand RNA virusesFlaviviridaeconformations |
| spellingShingle | Ester Sesmero Ian F. Thorpe Using the Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase as a Model to Understand Viral Polymerase Structure, Function and Dynamics Viruses positive-strand RNA viruses Flaviviridae conformations |
| title | Using the Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase as a Model to Understand Viral Polymerase Structure, Function and Dynamics |
| title_full | Using the Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase as a Model to Understand Viral Polymerase Structure, Function and Dynamics |
| title_fullStr | Using the Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase as a Model to Understand Viral Polymerase Structure, Function and Dynamics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using the Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase as a Model to Understand Viral Polymerase Structure, Function and Dynamics |
| title_short | Using the Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase as a Model to Understand Viral Polymerase Structure, Function and Dynamics |
| title_sort | using the hepatitis c virus rna dependent rna polymerase as a model to understand viral polymerase structure function and dynamics |
| topic | positive-strand RNA viruses Flaviviridae conformations |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/7/7/2808 |
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