RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

About: RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 13904 publications have been published within this topic receiving 767954 citations. The topic is also known as: RdRp & RNA replicase.

The polymerase complex genes contribute to the high virulence of the human H5N1 influenza virus isolate A/Vietnam/1203/04

Abstract: H5N1 influenza viruses transmitted from poultry to humans in Asia cause high mortality and pose a pandemic threat. Viral genes important for cell tropism and replication efficiency must be identified to elucidate and target virulence factors. We applied reverse genetics to generate H5N1 reassortants combining genes of lethal A/Vietnam/1203/04 (VN1203), a fatal human case isolate, and nonlethal A/chicken/Vietnam/C58/04 (CH58) and tested their pathogenicity in ferrets and mice. The viruses' hemagglutinins have six amino acids differences, identical cleavage sites, and avian-like α-(2,3)–linked receptor specificity. Surprisingly, exchanging hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes did not alter pathogenicity, but substituting CH58 polymerase genes completely attenuated VN1203 virulence and reduced viral polymerase activity. CH58's NS gene partially attenuated VN1203 in ferrets but not in mice. Our findings suggest that for high virulence in mammalian species an avian H5N1 virus with a cleavable hemagglutinin requires adaptive changes in polymerase genes to overcome the species barrier. Thus, novel antivirals targeting polymerase proteins should be developed.

Interaction of Polymerase Subunit PB2 and NP with Importin α1 Is a Determinant of Host Range of Influenza A Virus

Abstract: We have previously reported that mutations in the polymerase proteins PB1, PB2, PA, and the nucleocapsid protein NP resulting in enhanced transcription and replication activities in mammalian cells are responsible for the conversion of the avian influenza virus SC35 (H7N7) into the mouse-adapted variant SC35M. We show now that adaptive mutations D701N in PB2 and N319K in NP enhance binding of these proteins to importin α1 in mammalian cells. Enhanced binding was paralleled by transient nuclear accumulation and cytoplasmic depletion of importin α1 as well as increased transport of PB2 and NP into the nucleus of mammalian cells. In avian cells, enhancement of importin α1 binding and increased nuclear transport were not observed. These findings demonstrate that adaptation of the viral polymerase to the nuclear import machinery plays an important role in interspecies transmission of influenza virus.

Mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase stalling by remdesivir.

Abstract: Remdesivir is the only FDA-approved drug for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The active form of remdesivir acts as a nucleoside analog and inhibits the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2. Remdesivir is incorporated by the RdRp into the growing RNA product and allows for addition of three more nucleotides before RNA synthesis stalls. Here we use synthetic RNA chemistry, biochemistry and cryo-electron microscopy to establish the molecular mechanism of remdesivir-induced RdRp stalling. We show that addition of the fourth nucleotide following remdesivir incorporation into the RNA product is impaired by a barrier to further RNA translocation. This translocation barrier causes retention of the RNA 3'-nucleotide in the substrate-binding site of the RdRp and interferes with entry of the next nucleoside triphosphate, thereby stalling RdRp. In the structure of the remdesivir-stalled state, the 3'-nucleotide of the RNA product is matched and located with the template base in the active center, and this may impair proofreading by the viral 3'-exonuclease. These mechanistic insights should facilitate the quest for improved antivirals that target coronavirus replication.

Synthesis of infectious poliovirus RNA by purified T7 RNA polymerase

Abstract: Plasmids containing the entire cDNA sequence of poliovirus type 1 (Mahoney strain) under control of a promoter for T7 RNA polymerase have been constructed. Purified T7 RNA polymerase efficiently transcribes the entire poliovirus cDNA in either direction to produce full-length poliovirus RNA [(+)RNA] or its complement [(-)RNA]. The (+)RNA produced initially had 60 nucleotides on the 5' side of the poliovirus RNA sequence, including a string of 18 consecutive guanine residues generated in the original cloning and an additional 626 nucleotides of pBR322 sequence beyond the poly(A) tract at the 3' end. Such RNA, while much more infectious than the plasmid DNA, is only about 0.1% as infectious as RNA isolated from the virus. Subsequently, a T7 promoter was placed only 2 base pairs ahead of the poliovirus sequence, so that T7 RNA polymerase synthesizes poliovirus RNA with only 2 additional guanine residues at the 5' end and no more than seven nucleotides past the poly(A) tract at the 3' end. Such RNA has much higher specific infectivity, about 5% that of RNA isolated from the virus. The ability to make infectious poliovirus RNA efficiently from cloned DNA makes it possible to apply techniques of in vitro mutagenesis to the analysis of poliovirus functions and the construction of novel and perhaps useful derivatives of poliovirus. A source of variant RNAs should also allow detailed study of the synthesis and processing of poliovirus proteins in vitro.