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Sänger L, Williams HM, Yu D, Vogel D, Kosinski J, Rosenthal M, Uetrecht C. RNA to Rule Them All: Critical Steps in Lassa Virus Ribonucleoparticle Assembly and Recruitment. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:27958-27974. [PMID: 38104324 PMCID: PMC10755698 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c07325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Lassa virus is a negative-strand RNA virus with only four structural proteins that causes periodic outbreaks in West Africa. The nucleoprotein (NP) encapsidates the viral genome, forming ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) together with the viral RNA and the L protein. RNPs must be continuously restructured during viral genome replication and transcription. The Z protein is important for membrane recruitment of RNPs, viral particle assembly, and budding and has also been shown to interact with the L protein. However, the interaction of NP, viral RNA, and Z is poorly understood. Here, we characterize the interactions between Lassa virus NP, Z, and RNA using structural mass spectrometry. We identify the presence of RNA as the driver for the disassembly of ring-like NP trimers, a storage form, into monomers to subsequently form higher order RNA-bound NP assemblies. We locate the interaction site of Z and NP and demonstrate that while NP binds Z independently of the presence of RNA, this interaction is pH-dependent. These data improve our understanding of RNP assembly, recruitment, and release in Lassa virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Sänger
- Bernhard
Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
- CSSB
Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Leibniz
Institute of Virology (LIV), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Harry M. Williams
- Bernhard
Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
- CSSB
Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dingquan Yu
- CSSB
Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- European
Molecular Biology Laboratory Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Vogel
- Bernhard
Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Kosinski
- CSSB
Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- European
Molecular Biology Laboratory Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Structural
and Computational Biology Unit, European
Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Rosenthal
- Bernhard
Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
- CSSB
Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Fraunhofer
Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), Discovery Research ScreeningPort, Schnackenburgallee 114, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Uetrecht
- CSSB
Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Leibniz
Institute of Virology (LIV), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Faculty
V: School of Life Sciences, University of
Siegen, Am Eichenhang 50, 57076 Siegen, Germany
- Deutsches
Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestr. 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
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Sabsay KR, te Velthuis AJW. Negative and ambisense RNA virus ribonucleocapsids: more than protective armor. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0008223. [PMID: 37750733 PMCID: PMC10732063 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00082-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYNegative and ambisense RNA viruses are the causative agents of important human diseases such as influenza, measles, Lassa fever, and Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The viral genome of these RNA viruses consists of one or more single-stranded RNA molecules that are encapsidated by viral nucleocapsid proteins to form a ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP). This RNP acts as protection, as a scaffold for RNA folding, and as the context for viral replication and transcription by a viral RNA polymerase. However, the roles of the viral nucleoproteins extend beyond these functions during the viral infection cycle. Recent advances in structural biology techniques and analysis methods have provided new insights into the formation, function, dynamics, and evolution of negative sense virus nucleocapsid proteins, as well as the role that they play in host innate immune responses against viral infection. In this review, we discuss the various roles of nucleocapsid proteins, both in the context of RNPs and in RNA-free states, as well as the open questions that remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly R. Sabsay
- Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Aartjan J. W. te Velthuis
- Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
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Jones PE, Pérez-Segura C, Bryer AJ, Perilla JR, Hadden-Perilla JA. Molecular dynamics of the viral life cycle: progress and prospects. Curr Opin Virol 2021; 50:128-138. [PMID: 34464843 PMCID: PMC8651149 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations across spatiotemporal resolutions are widely applied to study viruses and represent the central technique uniting the field of computational virology. We discuss the progress of MD in elucidating the dynamics of the viral life cycle, including the status of modeling intact extracellular virions and leveraging advanced simulations to mimic active life cycle processes. We further remark on the prospects of MD for continued contributions to the basic science characterization of viruses, especially given the increasing availability of high-quality experimental data and supercomputing power. Overall, integrative computational methods that are closely guided by experiments are unmatched in the level of detail they provide, enabling-now and in the future-new discoveries relevant to thwarting viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Eugene Jones
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Carolina Pérez-Segura
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Alexander J Bryer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Juan R Perilla
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
| | - Jodi A Hadden-Perilla
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
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Xu C, Katyal N, Nesterova T, Perilla JR. Molecular determinants of Ebola nucleocapsid stability from molecular dynamics simulations. J Chem Phys 2021; 153:155102. [PMID: 33092380 DOI: 10.1063/5.0021491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) is a human pathogen with the ability to cause hemorrhagic fever and bleeding diathesis in hosts. The life cycle of EBOV depends on its nucleocapsid. The Ebola nucleocapsid consists of a helical assembly of nucleoproteins (NPs) encapsidating single-stranded viral RNA (ssRNA). Knowledge of the molecular determinants of Ebola nucleocapsid stability is essential for the development of therapeutics against EBOV. However, large degrees of freedom associated with the Ebola nucleocapsid helical assembly pose a computational challenge, thereby limiting the previous simulation studies to the level of monomers. In the present work, we have performed all atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the helical assembly of EBOV nucleoproteins in the absence and presence of ssRNA. We found that ssRNA is essential for maintaining structural integrity of the nucleocapsid. Other molecular determinants observed to stabilize the nucleocapsid include NP-RNA and NP-NP interactions and ion distributions. Additionally, the structural and dynamical behavior of the nucleocapsid monomer depends on its position in the helical assembly. NP monomers present on the longitudinal edges of the helical tube are more exposed, flexible, and have weaker NP-NP interactions than those residing in the center. This work provides key structural features stabilizing the nucleocapsid that may serve as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyi Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Nidhi Katyal
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Tanya Nesterova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Juan R Perilla
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
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