High affinity association of myo-inositol trisphosphates with phytase and its effect upon the catalytic potential of the enzyme

Characterization of the Interaction between hantavirus nucleocapsid protein (N) and ribosomal protein S19 (RPS19)

Hantaviruses, members of the Bunyaviridae family, are negative-stranded emerging RNA viruses and category A pathogens that cause serious illness when transmitted to humans through aerosolized excreta of infected rodent hosts. Hantaviruses have evolved a novel translation initiation mechanism, operated by nucleocapsid protein (N), which preferentially facilitates the translation of viral mRNAs. N binds to the ribosomal protein S19 (RPS19), a structural component of the 40 S ribosomal subunit. In addition, N also binds to both the viral mRNA 5' cap and a highly conserved triplet repeat sequence of the viral mRNA 5' UTR. The simultaneous binding of N at both the terminal cap and the 5' UTR favors ribosome loading on viral transcripts during translation initiation. We characterized the binding between N and RPS19 and demonstrate the role of the N-RPS19 interaction in N-mediated translation initiation mechanism. We show that N specifically binds to RPS19 with high affinity and a binding stoichiometry of 1:1. The N-RPS19 interaction is an enthalpy-driven process. RPS19 undergoes a conformational change after binding to N. Using T7 RNA polymerase, we synthesized the hantavirus S segment mRNA, which matches the transcript generated by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in cells. We show that the N-RPS19 interaction plays a critical role in the translation of this mRNA both in cells and rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Our results demonstrate that the N-mediated translation initiation mechanism, which lures the host translation machinery for the preferential translation of viral transcripts, primarily depends on the N-RPS19 interaction. We suggest that the N-RPS19 interaction is a novel target to shut down the N-mediated translation strategy and hence virus replication in cells.

Hantavirus nucleocapsid protein has distinct m7G cap- and RNA-binding sites

Hantaviruses, members of the Bunyaviridae family, are emerging category A pathogens that carry three negative stranded RNA molecules as their genome. Hantavirus nucleocapsid protein (N) is encoded by the smallest S segment genomic RNA (viral RNA). N specifically binds mRNA caps and requires four nucleotides adjacent to the cap for high affinity binding. We show that the N peptide has distinct cap- and RNA-binding sites that independently interact with mRNA cap and viral genomic RNA, respectively. In addition, N can simultaneously bind with both mRNA cap and vRNA. N undergoes distinct conformational changes after binding with either mRNA cap or vRNA or both mRNA cap and vRNA simultaneously. Hantavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) uses a capped RNA primer for transcription initiation. The capped RNA primer is generated from host cell mRNA by the cap-snatching mechanism and is supposed to anneal with the 3' terminus of vRNA template during transcription initiation by single G-C base pairing. We show that the capped RNA primer binds at the cap-binding site and induces a conformational change in N. The conformationally altered N with a capped primer loaded at the cap-binding site specifically binds the conserved 3' nine nucleotides of vRNA and assists the bound primer to anneal at the 3' terminus. We suggest that the cap-binding site of N, in conjunction with RdRp, plays a key role during the transcription and replication initiation of vRNA genome.

Towards complete dephosphorylation and total conversion of phytates in poultry feeds

The rate of phytate P removal from feed (level of dephosphorylation, DL) and the extent to which the molecule of phytic acid is deprived of phosphate moieties (conversion degree, CD) were studied in vitro and in a feeding trial with broilers fed corn-soybean diets. In the in vitro model, phytase A asymptotically increased DL and CD. Phytase B influenced DL only at low dosages of phytase A [0 or 250 phytase activity units (FTU)/kg], but it enhanced CD irrespective of phytase A activity. In the feeding trial, 3-phytase A and 6-phytase A (at 750 FTU/kg) exerted similar effects on broiler performance and similarly influenced bone mineralization, P retention, and Ca retention. Phytase B [6,400 acid phosphatase activity units (ACPU)/kg] enhanced feed intake, BW gain (BWG), toe ash, and P retention but not the retention of Ca. Myo-inositol fed at 0.1% significantly increased BWG, but it reduced P retention. Under conditions of a higher CD (excess of phytase B), 3-phytase A was more effective in enhancing performance than 6-phytase A, but it reduced Ca retention. Lower phytase B activities (0 to 3,200 ACPU/kg) with added 6-phytase A were more necessary for optimal growth of chickens than for enhanced P and Ca retention (4,800 to 6,400 ACPU/kg). The efficacy of both forms of phytase A and phytase B depended on the Ca level in feed. There is enough evidence to conclude that myo-inositol phosphates resulting from simultaneous action of 3-phytase A and phytase B affect bird physiology differently than intermediates accumulated by the action of 6-phytase A and phytase B.