Targeting the site of RNA-RNA recombination in brome mosaic virus with antisense sequences.

It has been postulated that local hybridizations between viral RNAs can mediate recombination in brome mosaic virus (BMV) and in poliovirus. To test this model, a 3' fragment of BMV RNA1 was inserted into the 3' noncoding sequence of BMV RNA3 in an antisense orientation. This resulted in high-frequency nonhomologous crossovers at or near the hybridized region. Insertion of the same RNA1 fragment in a positive-sense orientation did not promote recombination. Modification of the antisense insert by deletion of 3' portions did not affect the sites of crossover. However, modification of the 5' portion shifted the crossovers toward the central part of the heteroduplex region. Our results provide experimental evidence that recombinant crosses can be primed by hybridization between viral RNA molecules.     

Moieties in an RNA promoter specifically recognized by a viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

RNAs 33 nucleotides in length can direct accurate initiation of subgenomic RNA synthesis by the brome mosaic virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), provided that the native sequences are maintained at five positions: −17, −14, −13, −11, and the +1 initiation site. The functional groups in the bases of these essential nucleotides required to interact with RdRp were examined by using chemically synthesized RNAs containing base analogs at each of the five positions. Analysis using a template competition assay revealed that the mode of recognition for the initiation nucleotide (+1) is distinct from that of the other essential nucleotides in the promoter. Competition experiments also determined that three template nucleotides are sufficient for stable interaction with RdRp. These results identify base moieties in the brome mosaic virus subgenomic promoter required for efficient RNA synthesis and support the hypothesis that the recognition of a RNA promoter by a viral RdRp is analogous to the recognition of DNA promoters by DNA-dependent RNA polymerases.     

Striking similarities in amino acid sequence among nonstructural proteins encoded by RNA viruses that have dissimilar genomic organization.

The plant viruses alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) and brome mosaic virus (BMV) each divide their genetic information among three RNAs while tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) contains a single genomic RNA. Amino acid sequence comparisons suggest that the single proteins encoded by AMV RNA 1 and BMV RNA 1 and by AMV RNA 2 and BMV RNA 2 are related to the NH2-terminal two-thirds and the COOH-terminal one-third, respectively, of the largest protein encoded by TMV. Separating these two domains in the TMV RNA sequence is an amber termination codon, whose partial suppression allows translation of the downstream domain. Many of the residues that the TMV read-through domain and the segmented plant viruses have in common are also conserved in a read-through domain found in the nonstructural polyprotein of the animal alphaviruses Sindbis and Middelburg. We suggest that, despite substantial differences in gene organization and expression, all of these viruses use related proteins for common functions in RNA replication. Reassortment of functional modules of coding and regulatory sequence from preexisting viral or cellular sources, perhaps via RNA recombination, may be an important mechanism in RNA virus evolution.     

Highly active template-specific RNA-dependent RNA polymerase from barley leaves infected with brome mosaic virus.

The extraction of a template-dependent and template-specific RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (nucleosidetriphosphate:RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.6) from a eukaryotic source is described. The enzyme, extracted from barley leaves infected with brome mosaic virus (BMV), is capable of incorporating high levels of radioactivity into trichloroacetic acid-insoluble products. The purification procedure included solubilization with nonionic detergent and precipitation with polyethylene glycol. The enzyme was more than 50 times more active than was a comparable preparation from mock-inoculated leaves and was stimulated more than 15-fold by the addition of BMV RNA to the reaction. Other viral RNA templates were less than 25% as efficient as was BMV RNA in stimulating UMP incorporation; poly(A), tRNA, and mRNA gave little stimulation and rRNA was inactive. Autoradiographic analysis after electrophoretic separation of the radioactive products from reaction mixtures containing BMV RNA template revealed prominent bands that coelectrophoresed with replicative forms of BMV RNAs. When BMV RNA template was enriched in RNA3 or RNA4, larger proportions of the products were replicative forms of RNA3 or RNA4, respectively.     

Sequence of 71 nucleotides at the 3'-end of tobacco mosaic virus RNA.

The sequence of the first 71 nucleotides from the 3'-OH end of tobacco mosaic virus RNA has been determined. After total T1 ribonuclease digestion of the viral RNA, the oligonucleotide C-C-C-A-OH, which originates from the 3'-OH terminus of the RNA, may be readily detected by electrophoresis at pH 2.5 or pH 3.0; it is the only oligonucleotide that migrates toward the cathode at these pHs. This property has been used to screen the purified products of partial T1 ribonuclease digestion of tobacco mosaic virus RNA for the fragment originating from the 3'-end of the native molecule. The sequence of nucleotides in the 3'-terminal fragment, identified in this manner, was determined by radiochemical methods. The fragment contained 71 nucleotides; no abnormal bases could be detected. Although it has been reported that the 3'-end of tobacco mosaic virus RNA is a substrate for aminoacylation by the histidyl-tRNA synthetase of yeast or Escherichia coli, we were unable to fold the sequence into the cloverleaf structure characteristic of tRNAs.     

Translation of Brome Mosaic Viral Ribonucleic Acid in a Cell-Free System Derived from Wheat Embryo

The four RNAs of brome mosaic virus induce substantial incorporation of amino acids into protein when used as messengers in a cell-free protein-synthesizing system derived from wheat embryo. RNA 4 is highly efficient as a monocistronic messenger for the viral coat protein. Acetate, derived from acetyl coenzyme A, is incorporated into the product made in vitro. Although RNA 3 also contains the coat-protein cistron, it induces synthesis mostly of a protein larger than coat protein. RNAs 1 and 2 also induce the synthesis of substantial amounts of protein other than coat protein. However, an equimolar mixture of RNAs 3 and 4 or of 1, 2, 3, and 4 induces synthesis of coat protein almost exclusively. This result suggests that the coat-protein cistron, when present as a monocistronic messenger, inhibits translation of all other viral messages.     

Stucture of the amino-acid accepting 3''-end of high-molecular-weight eggplant mosaic virus RNA.

The sequence of the first 59 nucleotides from the 3'-OH terminus of high-molecular-weight eggplant mosaic virus RNA has been determined by standard radio-chemical techniques. The fragment was identified among the products of partial T1 RNase digestion by making use of the reverse migration, at pH 2.5, of the 3'-OH terminal oligonucleotide. No abnormal bases were found. A model of secondary structure may be constructed for this fragment, which is known to fix valine in the presence of valyl-tRNA synthetase. Its relation to the structures of genuine tRNAs and to the 3'-OH termini of other viral RNAs that also accept amino acids is discussed.     

Initiation of translation directed by 42S and 26S RNAs from Semliki Forest virus in vitro.

The proteins synthesized in vitro in response to 42S and 26S RNAs from Semliki Forest virus were labeled with formyl-[35S]methionine from initiator tRNA. One protein which comigrated with viral capsid protein was labeled under the direction of 26S RNA, and only one labeled peptide was detected after digestion with trypsin. Further digestion with pronase gave rise to the dipeptide fMet-AsN. Several labeled polypeptides were found in the 42S RNA directed product and these had molecular weights of up to 150,000. However, tryptic digestion of the product yielded only one formylmethionyl-labeled peptide, which had a different mobility from that directed by the 26S RNA. Further digestion with pronase gave a single dipeptide, fMet-Ala. This indicates that nonstructural proteins as large as 150,000 daltons are probably synthesized from one initiation site on the 42S RNA. Translation starting from the internal initiation site on the 42S RNA, which is equivalent to that on the 26S RNA, could not be detected under the conditions used. Internal initiation sites which are similarly inactive have also been detected in other viral RNAs (e.g., brome mosaic virus, tobacco mosaic virus, and polyoma 19S RNA) and this suggests that, although eukaryotic mRNAs can contain more than one initiation site for protein synthesis, only the site nearer the 5' terminus is active in vitro.     

tRNA elements mediate the assembly of an icosahedral RNA virus.

tRNAs, the adapter molecules in protein synthesis, also serve as metabolic cofactors and as primers for viral RNA-directed DNA synthesis. The genomic and subgenomic RNAs of some plant viruses have a 3'-terminal tRNA-like structure (TLS) that can accept a specific amino acid and serve as a site for initiation of replication and as a simple telomere. We report a previously undescribed role for the TLS of brome mosaic virus (BMV), and potentially for cellular tRNA, in mediating the assembly of its icosahedral virions. BMV genomic RNAs and subgenomic RNA lacking the TLS failed to assemble into virions when incubated with purified BMV coat protein. Assembly was restored by addition of a 201-nt RNA containing the BMV TLS. TLSs from two other plant viruses as well as tRNAs from wheat germ and yeast were similarly active in the BMV virion assembly reaction, but ribosomal RNA and polyadenylate did not facilitate assembly. Surprisingly, virions assembled from TLS-less BMV RNA in the presence of tRNAs or TLS-containing short RNA did not incorporate the latter molecules. Consistent with a critical role for the BMV TLS in virion assembly, mutations in the BMV genomic RNAs that were designed to disrupt the folding of the TLS also abolished virion assembly. We discuss the likely roles of the TLS in early stages of virion assembly.     

Nucleotide sequence homology at the 3'' termini of RNA from vesicular stomatitis virus and its defective interfering particles.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and defective interfering (DI) particle RNAs were labeled at their 3' ends by using RNA ligase and cytidine 3',5'-bis[32P]phosphate. The RNAs were subjected to partial digestion with alkali and analyzed by oligonucleotide fingerprinting in two dimensions. VSV and DI particle RNAs have complete sequence homology for the first eight bases from the 3' end. The following four positions contain three mismatched nucleotides in which guanosine residues in one strand are replaced by uridine residues in the other. There is again complete homology for the next five bases (positions 13-17). The locations of purine residues within the sequence were confirmed by partial digestion with RNase T1 and RNase U2 and separation by size on 20% acrylamide gels. The latter method also indicated that sequences of VSV and DI particle RNAs diverge beyond the 18th nucleotide from the 3' termini.     

Relationship between structure of the 5'' noncoding region of viral mRNA and efficiency in the initiation step of protein synthesis in a eukaryotic system.

To determine whether the rate of protein synthesis is controlled by the structure of mRNA near its 5' terminus, protein-synthesizing ability, especially in its initial stage, was compared among RNAs of plant viruses. Those viruses used here contain several definite pieces of single-stranded RNA. Each of these RNAs acts as a messenger. Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) RNA 5 synthesizes a small amount of a protein, Mr 7000, in an in vitro protein-synthesizing system from wheat germ or reticulocyte. Brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNA 4 synthesizes a large amount of a coat protein under the same conditions. Both RNAs have the same 5'-cap structure and a short noncoding region (10 nucleotides in CMV RNA 5 and 9 in BMV RNA 4) between the 5' terminus and the initiation codon AUG. A sequence complementary to the 3' terminal of 18S ribosomal RNA is contained in BMV RNA 4 but is not apparent in CMV RNA 5. Formation of the initiation complex for protein synthesis by the 5'-terminal-labeled mRNA of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus was inhibited by the addition of unlabeled BMV RNA 4 whereas it was only slightly inhibited by unlabeled CMV RNA 5. BMV RNA 4, which has a sequence complementary to rRNA, can form the initiation complex more easily than CMV RNA5. It is concluded that an apparent complementary sequence in the 3' terminal of 18S rRNA in the 5' noncoding region of eukaryotic mRNA and the 5'-cap structure enhance the rate of initiation complex formation in protein synthesis.     

Initiation of polypeptide synthesis with various NH2-blocked aminoacyl-tRNAs under the direction of alfalfa mosaic virus RNA 4.

Initiation of polypeptide synthesis in a cell-free system of Escherichia coli directed by alfalfa mosaic virus RNA 4 was studied by using either fMet-tRNA or Ac-Phe-tRNA as initiator tRNA. Initiation with fMet-tRNA yielded a product that was identical to the authentic viral coat protein except that the NH2-terminal serine was preceded by fMet instead of being acetylated. When Ac-Phe-tRNA was used as initiator, the biosynthetic product was 10-12 amino acid residues longer, the extra amino acids being located at the NH2-terminus. fMet-tRNA and Ac-Phe-tRNA did not compete for ribosomes during initiation of protein synthesis, as became evident from incorporation studies using both initiator tRNAs simultaneously. It is concluded that E. coli ribosomes recognize two sites on the 5' end of alfalfa mosaic virus RNA 4 that are separated by a region of about 30 nucleotides. The results are in complete agreement with the 5'-terminal nucleotide sequence of this RNA [Koper-Zwarthoff, E. C., Lockhard, R. E., RajBhandary, U. L., Alzner-deWeerd, B. & Bol, J. F. (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74, 5504-5508].