Isolation and characterization of the positive-sense replicative intermediate of a negative-strand RNA virus.

Negative-strand RNA viruses represent a significant class of important pathogens that cause substantial morbidity and mortality in human and animal hosts worldwide. A defining feature of these viruses is that their single-stranded RNA genomes are of opposite polarity to messenger RNA and are replica...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: York, A, Hengrung, N, Vreede, F, Huiskonen, J, Fodor, E
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2013
_version_ 1826299637382774784
author York, A
Hengrung, N
Vreede, F
Huiskonen, J
Fodor, E
author_facet York, A
Hengrung, N
Vreede, F
Huiskonen, J
Fodor, E
author_sort York, A
collection OXFORD
description Negative-strand RNA viruses represent a significant class of important pathogens that cause substantial morbidity and mortality in human and animal hosts worldwide. A defining feature of these viruses is that their single-stranded RNA genomes are of opposite polarity to messenger RNA and are replicated through a positive-sense intermediate. The replicative intermediate is thought to exist as a complementary ribonucleoprotein (cRNP) complex. However, isolation of such complexes from infected cells has never been accomplished. Here we report the development of an RNA-based affinity-purification strategy for the isolation of cRNPs of influenza A virus from infected cells. This technological advance enabled the structural and functional characterization of this elusive but essential component of the viral RNA replication machine. The cRNP exhibits a filamentous double-helical organization with defined termini, containing the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) at one end and a loop structure at the other end. In vitro characterization of cRNP activity yielded mechanistic insights into the workings of this RNA synthesis machine. In particular, we found that cRNPs show activity in vitro only in the presence of added RdRp. Intriguingly, a replication-inactive RdRp mutant was also able to activate cRNP-templated viral RNA synthesis. We propose a model of influenza virus genome replication that relies on the trans-activation of the cRNP-associated RdRp. The described purification strategy should be applicable to other negative-strand RNA viruses and will promote studies into their replication mechanisms.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T05:04:58Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:d99cee12-e3c8-4c62-9852-2c2dd5f736db
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T05:04:58Z
publishDate 2013
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:d99cee12-e3c8-4c62-9852-2c2dd5f736db2022-03-27T08:57:08ZIsolation and characterization of the positive-sense replicative intermediate of a negative-strand RNA virus.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:d99cee12-e3c8-4c62-9852-2c2dd5f736dbEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2013York, AHengrung, NVreede, FHuiskonen, JFodor, ENegative-strand RNA viruses represent a significant class of important pathogens that cause substantial morbidity and mortality in human and animal hosts worldwide. A defining feature of these viruses is that their single-stranded RNA genomes are of opposite polarity to messenger RNA and are replicated through a positive-sense intermediate. The replicative intermediate is thought to exist as a complementary ribonucleoprotein (cRNP) complex. However, isolation of such complexes from infected cells has never been accomplished. Here we report the development of an RNA-based affinity-purification strategy for the isolation of cRNPs of influenza A virus from infected cells. This technological advance enabled the structural and functional characterization of this elusive but essential component of the viral RNA replication machine. The cRNP exhibits a filamentous double-helical organization with defined termini, containing the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) at one end and a loop structure at the other end. In vitro characterization of cRNP activity yielded mechanistic insights into the workings of this RNA synthesis machine. In particular, we found that cRNPs show activity in vitro only in the presence of added RdRp. Intriguingly, a replication-inactive RdRp mutant was also able to activate cRNP-templated viral RNA synthesis. We propose a model of influenza virus genome replication that relies on the trans-activation of the cRNP-associated RdRp. The described purification strategy should be applicable to other negative-strand RNA viruses and will promote studies into their replication mechanisms.
spellingShingle York, A
Hengrung, N
Vreede, F
Huiskonen, J
Fodor, E
Isolation and characterization of the positive-sense replicative intermediate of a negative-strand RNA virus.
title Isolation and characterization of the positive-sense replicative intermediate of a negative-strand RNA virus.
title_full Isolation and characterization of the positive-sense replicative intermediate of a negative-strand RNA virus.
title_fullStr Isolation and characterization of the positive-sense replicative intermediate of a negative-strand RNA virus.
title_full_unstemmed Isolation and characterization of the positive-sense replicative intermediate of a negative-strand RNA virus.
title_short Isolation and characterization of the positive-sense replicative intermediate of a negative-strand RNA virus.
title_sort isolation and characterization of the positive sense replicative intermediate of a negative strand rna virus
work_keys_str_mv AT yorka isolationandcharacterizationofthepositivesensereplicativeintermediateofanegativestrandrnavirus
AT hengrungn isolationandcharacterizationofthepositivesensereplicativeintermediateofanegativestrandrnavirus
AT vreedef isolationandcharacterizationofthepositivesensereplicativeintermediateofanegativestrandrnavirus
AT huiskonenj isolationandcharacterizationofthepositivesensereplicativeintermediateofanegativestrandrnavirus
AT fodore isolationandcharacterizationofthepositivesensereplicativeintermediateofanegativestrandrnavirus