scholarly journals Molecular Aspects of Interferon Induction by Viruses

1970 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Burke

Virus-induced interferon formation depends on the presence within the cell of a viral ribonucleic acid. This RNA may either be double stranded or, in certain cases, single stranded. The double-stranded RNA can be derived from a virus, such as reovirus, which contains this type of RNA, or it may be synthesized within the cell using viral single-stranded RNA as a template. Single-stranded RNA must possess a stable configuration in solution to be active, and certain viral RNA molecules appear to be active for this reason. The presence of this RNA triggers a derepression event, which is probably nuclear, by an unknown mechanism, and this is followed by the production of an interferon messenger RNA and its translation. Little is known of the derepression event or the events that follow it.

Author(s):  
Lev Levintov ◽  
Harish Vashisth

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules are known to undergo conformational changes in response to various environmental stimuli including temperature, pH, and ligands. In particular, viral RNA molecules are a key example...


1981 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Salditt-Georgieff ◽  
M M Harpold ◽  
M C Wilson ◽  
J E Darnell

The rate of synthesis in Chinese hamster cells of 5' cap structures, m7 GpppNmp, in large (greater than 700 bases) heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules is two to three times faster than the synthesis of 3'-terminal polyadenylic acid segments. As judged by presence of caps, newly synthesized polysomal messenger RNA, exclusive of messenger RNA the size of histone messenger RNA, is more than 90% in the polyadenylated category. It appears, therefore, that between half and two-thirds of the long capped heterogeneous nuclear RNA molecules do not contribute a capped polysomal derivative to the cytoplasm. There are capped, nonpolysomal, non-polyadenylated molecules with a rapid turnover rate that fractionate with the cytoplasm. These metabolically unstable molecules either could represent leakage into the cytoplasm during fractionation or could truly spend a brief time in the cytoplasm before decay.


1969 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fry ◽  
Michael Artman

A simple and efficient method for hybridization and subsequent recovery of non-fragmented ribosomal RNA from the hybrid is described. The procedure involves annealing of immobilized denatured DNA bound on cellulose nitrate membrane filters to complementary RNA in 50% (v/v) formamide–0·33m-potassium chloride–10mm-tris–hydrochloric acid buffer, pH7·4, at 33° for 3hr. Under these conditions no detectable changes in the sedimentation coefficients of the input RNA were detected. The RNA can subsequently be recovered quantitatively from the hybrid in intact form by incubating the filters in formamide or in 85% (v/v) dimethyl sulphoxide. The applicability of the method for the evaluation of the absolute size of ribosomal RNA cistrons in Escherichia coli DNA and for the determination of the size of messenger RNA molecules is discussed.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 918
Author(s):  
Charles H. Calisher ◽  
Mattia Calzolari

Sandfly-borne phleboviruses (phylum Negarnavaricota, realm Riboviria, kingdom Orthornavirae, genus Phlebovirus) comprise three genome segments of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and which encode an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which they use to transcribe the viral RNA genome into messenger RNA and to replicate the genome. At least some of these viruses cause mild 3-day fevers in humans but some also have been associated with more severe illnesses in humans. The 67 recognized phleboviruses are listed here in a table composed by the authors from International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses reports as well as the scientific literature.


1981 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-187
Author(s):  
M Salditt-Georgieff ◽  
M M Harpold ◽  
M C Wilson ◽  
J E Darnell

The rate of synthesis in Chinese hamster cells of 5' cap structures, m7 GpppNmp, in large (greater than 700 bases) heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules is two to three times faster than the synthesis of 3'-terminal polyadenylic acid segments. As judged by presence of caps, newly synthesized polysomal messenger RNA, exclusive of messenger RNA the size of histone messenger RNA, is more than 90% in the polyadenylated category. It appears, therefore, that between half and two-thirds of the long capped heterogeneous nuclear RNA molecules do not contribute a capped polysomal derivative to the cytoplasm. There are capped, nonpolysomal, non-polyadenylated molecules with a rapid turnover rate that fractionate with the cytoplasm. These metabolically unstable molecules either could represent leakage into the cytoplasm during fractionation or could truly spend a brief time in the cytoplasm before decay.


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 581-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Maroto ◽  
Yolanda Fernandez ◽  
Juan Ortin ◽  
Fernando Pelaez ◽  
M. Angerles Cabello

The NS1 protein is a nonstructural protein encoded by the influenza A virus. It is responsible for many alterations produced in the cellular metabolism upon infection by the virus and for modulation of virus virulence. The NS1 protein is able to perform a large variety of functions due to its ability to bind various types of RNA molecules, from both viral and nonviral origin, and to interact with several cell factors. With the aim of exploring whether the binding of NS1 protein to viral RNA (vRNA) could constitute a novel target for the search of anti-influenza drugs, a filter-binding assay measuring the specific interaction between the recombinant His-NS1 protein from influenza A virus and a radiolabeled model vRNA ( 32P-vNSZ) was adapted to a format suitable for screening and easy automation. Flashplate® technology (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA), either in 96- or 384-well plates, was used. The Flashplate® wells were precoated with the recombinant His-NS1 protein, and the binding of His-NS1 to a 35S-vNSZ probe was measured. A pilot screening of a collection of 27,520 mixtures of synthetic chemical compounds was run for inhibitors of NS1 binding to vRNA. We found 3 compounds in which the inhibition of NS1 binding to vRNA, observed at submicromolar concentrations, was correlated with a reduction of the cytopathic effect during the infection of cell cultures with influenza virus. These results support the hypothesis that the binding of NS1 to vRNA could be a novel target for the development of anti-influenza drugs. ( Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2008:581-590)


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 789
Author(s):  
Athanasios Dalakouras ◽  
Ioannis Ganopoulos

Exogenous application of RNA molecules is a potent method to trigger RNA interference (RNAi) in plants in a transgene-free manner. So far, all exogenous RNAi (exo-RNAi) applications have aimed to trigger mRNA degradation of a given target. However, the issue of concomitant epigenetic changes was never addressed. Here, we report for the first time that high-pressure spraying of dsRNAs can trigger de novo methylation of promoter sequences in plants.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1096
Author(s):  
Timothy W. Thoner ◽  
Xiang Ye ◽  
John Karijolich ◽  
Kristen M. Ogden

Packaging of segmented, double-stranded RNA viral genomes requires coordination of viral proteins and RNA segments. For mammalian orthoreovirus (reovirus), evidence suggests either all ten or zero viral RNA segments are simultaneously packaged in a highly coordinated process hypothesized to exclude host RNA. Accordingly, reovirus generates genome-containing virions and “genomeless” top component particles. Whether reovirus virions or top component particles package host RNA is unknown. To gain insight into reovirus packaging potential and mechanisms, we employed next-generation RNA-sequencing to define the RNA content of enriched reovirus particles. Reovirus virions exclusively packaged viral double-stranded RNA. In contrast, reovirus top component particles contained similar proportions but reduced amounts of viral double-stranded RNA and were selectively enriched for numerous host RNA species, especially short, non-polyadenylated transcripts. Host RNA selection was not dependent on RNA abundance in the cell, and specifically enriched host RNAs varied for two reovirus strains and were not selected solely by the viral RNA polymerase. Collectively, these findings indicate that genome packaging into reovirus virions is exquisitely selective, while incorporation of host RNAs into top component particles is differentially selective and may contribute to or result from inefficient viral RNA packaging.


Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 155 (2) ◽  
pp. 601-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsolt Tallóczy ◽  
Rebecca Mazar ◽  
Denise E Georgopoulos ◽  
Fausto Ramos ◽  
Michael J Leibowitz

Abstract The cytoplasmically inherited [KIL-d] element epigenetically regulates killer virus gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. [KIL-d] results in variegated defects in expression of the M double-stranded RNA viral segment in haploid cells that are “healed” in diploids. We report that the [KIL-d] element is spontaneously lost with a frequency of 10−4–10−5 and reappears with variegated phenotypic expression with a frequency of ≥10−3. This high rate of loss and higher rate of reappearance is unlike any known nucleic acid replicon but resembles the behavior of yeast prions. However, [KIL-d] is distinct from the known yeast prions in its relative guanidinium hydrochloride incurability and independence of Hsp104 protein for its maintenance. Despite its transmissibility by successive cytoplasmic transfers, multiple cytoplasmic nucleic acids have been proven not to carry the [KIL-d] trait. [KIL-d] epigenetically regulates the expression of the M double-stranded RNA satellite virus genome, but fails to alter the expression of M cDNA. This specificity remained even after a cycle of mating and meiosis. Due to its unique genetic properties and viral RNA specificity, [KIL-d] represents a new type of genetic element that interacts with a viral RNA genome.


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