scholarly journals Functional, biochemical and structural characterization of Hepatitis C virus non-structural protein 5A

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Liang
Microbiology ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 1335-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantal Paolini ◽  
Raffaele De Francesco ◽  
Paola Gallinari

The hepatitis C virus non-structural protein 3 (NS3) possesses a serine protease activity in the N-terminal one-third, whereas RNA-stimulated NTPase and helicase activities reside in the C-terminal portion. In this study, an N-terminal hexahistidine-tagged full-length NS3 polypeptide was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity by conventional chromatography. Detailed characterization of the helicase activity of NS3 is presented with regard to its binding and strand release activities on different RNA substrates. On RNA double-hybrid substrates, the enzyme was shown to perform unwinding activity starting from an internal ssRNA region of at least 3 nt and moving along the duplex in a 3′ to 5′ direction. In addition, data are presented suggesting that binding to ATP reduces the affinity of NS3 for ssRNA and increases its affinity for duplex RNA. Furthermore, we have ascertained the capacity of NS3 to specifically interact with and resolve the stem–loop RNA structure (SL I) within the 3′-terminal 46 bases of the viral genome. Finally, our analysis of NS3 processive unwinding under single cycle conditions by addition of heparin in both helicase and RNA-stimulated ATPase assays led to two conclusions: (i) NS3-associated helicase acts processively; (ii) most of the NS3 RNA-stimulated ATPase activity may not be directly coupled to translocation of the enzyme along the substrate RNA molecule.


2004 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luyun Huang ◽  
Elena V Sineva ◽  
Michele R.S Hargittai ◽  
Suresh D Sharma ◽  
Mehul Suthar ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 1798 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Spadaccini ◽  
Gerardino D'Errico ◽  
Viviana D'Alessio ◽  
Eugenio Notomista ◽  
Alessia Bianchi ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 363 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark X. DU ◽  
Robert B. JOHNSON ◽  
Xin-Lai SUN ◽  
Kirk A. STASCHKE ◽  
Joseph COLACINO ◽  
...  

Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase and is homologous to the non-structural protein 3 (NS3) helicase domain encoded by hepatitis C virus (HCV). Reported here is the comparative characterization of human eIF4A and HCV NS3 helicase in an effort to better understand viral and cellular helicases of superfamily II and to assist in designing specific inhibitors against HCV infections. Both eIF4A and HCV NS3 helicase domain were expressed in bacterial cells as histidine-tagged proteins and purified to homogeneity. Purified eIF4A exhibited RNA-unwinding activity and acted on RNA or RNA/DNA but not DNA duplexes. In the absence of cellular cofactors, eIF4A operated unwinding in both the 3′ to 5′ and 5′ to 3′ directions, and was able to unwind blunt-ended RNA duplex, suggesting that bidirectionality is an intrinsic property of eIF4A. In contrast, HCV NS3 helicase showed unidirectional 3′ to 5′ unwinding of RNA and RNA/DNA, as well as of DNA duplexes. With respect to NTPase activity, eIF4A hydrolysed only ATP or dATP in the presence of RNAs, whereas HCV NS3 helicase could hydrolyse all ribo- and deoxyribo-NTPs in an RNA-independent manner. In parallel, only ATP or dATP could drive the unwinding activity of eIF4A whereas HCV NS3 could function with all eight standard NTPs and dNTPs. The observed differences in their substrate specificity may prove to be useful in designing specific inhibitors targeting HCV NS3 helicase but not human eIF4A.


2006 ◽  
Vol 124 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arantxa Rodríguez-Casado ◽  
Javier Bartolomé ◽  
Vicente Carreño ◽  
Marina Molina ◽  
Pedro Carmona

Virology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 405 (2) ◽  
pp. 424-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Gallo ◽  
Matthew James Bottomley ◽  
Matteo Pennestri ◽  
Tommaso Eliseo ◽  
Maurizio Paci ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Ascone ◽  
G. Nobili ◽  
M. Benfatto ◽  
A. Congiu-Castellano

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 61-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Borowski ◽  
Reinhard Kühl ◽  
Rainer Laufs ◽  
Julian Schulze zur Wiesch ◽  
Max Heiland

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 537-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicklas Bonander ◽  
Mohammed Jamshad ◽  
Ke Hu ◽  
Michelle J. Farquhar ◽  
Zania Stamataki ◽  
...  

Tetraspanins are thought to exert their biological function(s) by co-ordinating the lateral movement and trafficking of associated molecules into tetraspanin-enriched microdomains. A second four-TM (transmembrane) domain protein family, the Claudin superfamily, is the major structural component of cellular TJs (tight junctions). Although the Claudin family displays low sequence homology and appears to be evolutionarily distinct from the tetraspanins, CD81 and Claudin-1 are critical molecules defining HCV (hepatitis C virus) entry; we recently demonstrated that CD81–Claudin-1 complexes have an essential role in this process. To understand the molecular basis of CD81–Claudin-1 complex formation, we produced and purified milligram quantities of full-length CD81 and Claudin-1, alone and in complex, in both detergent and lipid contexts. Structural characterization of these purified proteins will allow us to define the mechanism(s) underlying virus–cell interactions and aid the design of therapeutic agents targeting early steps in the viral life cycle.


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