Temperature-sensitive virion transcriptase activity in mutants of WSN influenza virus

The PB1 subunit alone can catalyze cRNA synthesis, and the PA subunit in addition to the PB1 subunit is required for viral RNA synthesis in replication of the influenza virus genome

We indicated that the PB1 and PA subunits of RNA polymerase and nucleoprotein (NP) can support replication of the influenza virus genome as well as transcription to yield uncapped poly(A)(+)-RNA (Y. Nakagawa, N. Kimura, T. Toyoda, K. Mizumoto, A. Ishihama, K. Oda, and S. Nakada, J. Virol. 69:728-733, 1995). To analyze the functions of the PB1 and PA subunits in replication and transcription, YP1N clones in which the PB1 and NP genes can be expressed in response to dexamethasone were established. cRNA was transcribed from model viral RNA (vRNA), but vRNA synthesis from model cRNA was not detected in YP1N clones. Furthermore, poly(A)(+)-RNA directed from model vRNA was synthesized in YP1N clones. These results indicated that PB1 and NP can support the syntheses of cRNA and poly(A)(+)-RNA and that the PA subunit, in addition to that of PB1 and to NP, is required for vRNA synthesis. In summary, the PB1 subunit is involved in the catalytic activities of nucleotide elongation, and the PA subunit may act as an allosteric modulator and cause a conformational change from a cRNA-to a vRNA-synthesizing form of the PB1 subunit.

Characterization of a temperature-sensitive mutant in the RNA polymerase PB2 subunit gene of influenza A/WSN/33 virus

The temperature-sensitive mutant ts-1 of influenza virus A/WSN/33 carries mutations in the gene encoding RNA polymerase PB2 subunit. Effect of temperature on various steps of viral RNA synthesis was examined using disrupted virions of ts-1 mutant. The initiation of RNA synthesis with dinucleotide ApG primer was not affected by elevated temperature, whereas that with primer RNA containing 5'-terminal cap-1 structure was temperature-sensitive. The result supports the previous notion deduced from the UV-crosslinking experiments, that PB2 is involved in the cap-1 dependent initiation of RNA synthesis. In addition, the ts-1 mutant showed a defect in RNA chain elongation. Nucleotide sequence analysis of RNA segment 1 of ts-1 mutant revealed that the amino acid number 417 is essential for the recognition of cap-1 structures and/or the interaction with catalytic unit of the RNA polymerase.

Viral RNA polymerases

Recent progress in molecular biological techniques revealed that genomes of animal viruses are complex in structure, for example, with respect to the chemical nature (DNA or RNA), strandedness (double or single), genetic sense (positive or negative), circularity (circle or linear), and so on. In agreement with this complexity in the genome structure, the modes of transcription and replication are various among virus families. The purpose of this article is to review and bring up to date the literature on viral RNA polymerases involved in transcription of animal DNA viruses and in both transcription and replication of RNA viruses. This review shows that the viral RNA polymerases are complex in both structure and function, being composed of multiple subunits and carrying multiple functions. The functions exposed seem to be controlled through structural interconversion.

Biological characteristics of a cold-adapted influenza A virus mutation residing on a polymerase gene

The biological function of a cold-adapted (ca) mutation residing on the PB2 gene of an influenza A/Ann Arbor/6/60 (A/AA/6/60) ca variant virus in the viral replication cycle at 25 degrees C was studied. The viral polypeptide synthesis of A/AA/6/60 ca variant at 25 degrees C was evident approximately 6 hours earlier than the wild type (wt) virus and yielded twice as many products. The quantitative analysis of viral complementary RNA (cRNA), synthesized in the presence of cycloheximide, revealed that A/AA/6/60 ca variant and a single gene reassortant that contains only the PB2 gene of the ca variant with remaining genes of the wt virus produced equal amount of cRNA at 25 degrees and 33 degrees C, which was an amount approximately four fold greater than the wt virus' cRNA synthesized at 25 degrees C. These results strongly suggest that the ca mutation residing on the PB2 gene of A/AA/6/60 ca variant affects the messenger RNA synthesis at 25 degrees C in the primary transcription.

Influenza virus temperature-sensitive cap (m7GpppNm)-dependent endonuclease

The first step in influenza viral mRNA synthesis is the endonucleolytic cleavage of heterologous RNAs containing cap 1 (m(7)GpppNm) structures to generate capped primers that are 10 to 13 nucleotides long, which are then elongated to form the viral mRNA chains. We examined the temperature sensitivity of these steps in vitro by using two WSN virus temperature-sensitive mutants, ts1 and ts6, which have a defect in the genome RNA segment coding for the viral PB2 protein. For these experiments, it was necessary to employ purified viral cores rather than detergent-treated virions to catalyze transcription, as preparations of detergent-treated virions contain destabilizing or inhibitory activities which render even the transcription catalyzed by wild-type virus temperature sensitive. Using purified wild-type viral cores, we found that the rates of endonucleolytic cleavage of capped primers and of overall transcription were similar at 39.5 and 33 degrees C, the in vivo nonpermissive and permissive temperatures, respectively. In contrast, the activities of the cap-dependent endonucleases of ts1 and ts6 viral cores at 39.5 degrees C were only about 15% of those at 33 degrees C. The steps in transcription after endonucleolytic cleavage of the capped RNA primer were largely, if not totally, temperature insensitive, indicating that the mutations in the PB2 protein found in ts1 and ts6 virions affect only the endonuclease step. The temperature-sensitive defect is most likely in the recognition of the 5'-terminal cap 1 structure that occurs as a required first step in the endonuclease reaction: the cap-dependent binding of a specific capped primer fragment to ts1 viral cores was temperature sensitive under conditions in which binding to wild-type viral cores was not affected by increasing the temperature from 33 to 39.5 degrees C. Thus, our results establish that the viral PB2 protein functions in cap recognition during the endonuclease reaction.

Influenza B virus: alpha-amanitin sensitivity of replication and primer-dependence of in vitro transcription

The replication of influenza B/Lee/40 virus in MDCK (canine kidney) cells was sensitive to alpha-amanitin and actinomycin D. In vitro, virion transcriptase activity was stimulated by dinucleotide primers such as ApG. The above characteristics are shared by A/WSN virus.

P1 and P3 proteins of influenza virus are required for complementary RNA synthesis

Members of two temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant groups of influenza A/WSN virus defective in complementary RNA synthesis were analyzed with respect to the identity of their defective genes. RNA analysis of recombinants having a ts+ phenotype derived from the mutants and HK virus permitted the identification of RNA 1 and RNA 2 as the single defective gene in mutant groups I and III, respectively. Based on knowledge obtained by mapping the WSN virus genome, it then was possible to determine that biologically functional P3 protein (coded for by RNA 1) and P1 protein (RNA 2) are required for complementary RNA synthesis of influenza virus.