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Szczesniak I, Baliga-Gil A, Jarmolowicz A, Soszynska-Jozwiak M, Kierzek E. Structural and Functional RNA Motifs of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Virus as a Target of Viral Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021232. [PMID: 36674746 PMCID: PMC9860923 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas the influenza A virus (IAV) causes seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. Both viruses lead to widespread infection and death. SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza virus are RNA viruses. The SARS-CoV-2 genome is an approximately 30 kb, positive sense, 5' capped single-stranded RNA molecule. The influenza A virus genome possesses eight single-stranded negative-sense segments. The RNA secondary structure in the untranslated and coding regions is crucial in the viral replication cycle. The secondary structure within the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza virus has been intensively studied. Because the whole of the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus replication cycles are dependent on RNA with no DNA intermediate, the RNA is a natural and promising target for the development of inhibitors. There are a lot of RNA-targeting strategies for regulating pathogenic RNA, such as small interfering RNA for RNA interference, antisense oligonucleotides, catalytic nucleic acids, and small molecules. In this review, we summarized the knowledge about the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus propagation by targeting their RNA secondary structure.
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2
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Kauffmann AD, Kennedy SD, Moss WN, Kierzek E, Kierzek R, Turner DH. Nuclear magnetic resonance reveals a two hairpin equilibrium near the 3'-splice site of influenza A segment 7 mRNA that can be shifted by oligonucleotides. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 28:508-522. [PMID: 34983822 PMCID: PMC8925974 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078951.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Influenza A kills hundreds of thousands of people globally every year and has the potential to generate more severe pandemics. Influenza A's RNA genome and transcriptome provide many potential therapeutic targets. Here, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments suggest that one such target could be a hairpin loop of 8 nucleotides in a pseudoknot that sequesters a 3' splice site in canonical pairs until a conformational change releases it into a dynamic 2 × 2-nt internal loop. NMR experiments reveal that the hairpin loop is dynamic and able to bind oligonucleotides as short as pentamers. A 3D NMR structure of the complex contains 4 and likely 5 bp between pentamer and loop. Moreover, a hairpin sequence was discovered that mimics the equilibrium of the influenza hairpin between its structure in the pseudoknot and upon release of the splice site. Oligonucleotide binding shifts the equilibrium completely to the hairpin secondary structure required for pseudoknot folding. The results suggest this hairpin can be used to screen for compounds that stabilize the pseudoknot and potentially reduce splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Kauffmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| | - Scott D Kennedy
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, USA
| | - Walter N Moss
- Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
| | - Elzbieta Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Ryszard Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Douglas H Turner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
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Piasecka J, Jarmolowicz A, Kierzek E. Organization of the Influenza A Virus Genomic RNA in the Viral Replication Cycle-Structure, Interactions, and Implications for the Emergence of New Strains. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9110951. [PMID: 33203084 PMCID: PMC7696059 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9110951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The influenza A virus is a human pathogen causing respiratory infections. The ability of this virus to trigger seasonal epidemics and sporadic pandemics is a result of its high genetic variability, leading to the ineffectiveness of vaccinations and current therapies. The source of this variability is the accumulation of mutations in viral genes and reassortment enabled by its segmented genome. The latter process can induce major changes and the production of new strains with pandemic potential. However, not all genetic combinations are tolerated and lead to the assembly of complete infectious virions. Reports have shown that viral RNA segments co-segregate in particular circumstances. This tendency is a consequence of the complex and selective genome packaging process, which takes place in the final stages of the viral replication cycle. It has been shown that genome packaging is governed by RNA–RNA interactions. Intersegment contacts create a network, characterized by the presence of common and strain-specific interaction sites. Recent studies have revealed certain RNA regions, and conserved secondary structure motifs within them, which may play functional roles in virion assembly. Growing knowledge on RNA structure and interactions facilitates our understanding of the appearance of new genome variants, and may allow for the prediction of potential reassortment outcomes and the emergence of new strains in the future.
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RNA Secondary Structure Motifs of the Influenza A Virus as Targets for siRNA-Mediated RNA Interference. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2019; 19:627-642. [PMID: 31945726 PMCID: PMC6965531 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The influenza A virus is a human pathogen that poses a serious public health threat due to rapid antigen changes and emergence of new, highly pathogenic strains with the potential to become easily transmitted in the human population. The viral genome is encoded by eight RNA segments, and all stages of the replication cycle are dependent on RNA. In this study, we designed small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting influenza segment 5 nucleoprotein (NP) mRNA structural motifs that encode important functions. The new criterion for choosing the siRNA target was the prediction of accessible regions based on the secondary structure of segment 5 (+)RNA. This design led to siRNAs that significantly inhibit influenza virus type A replication in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Additionally, chemical modifications with the potential to improve siRNA properties were introduced and systematically validated in MDCK cells against the virus. A substantial and maximum inhibitory effect was achieved at concentrations as low as 8 nM. The inhibition of viral replication reached approximately 90% for the best siRNA variants. Additionally, selected siRNAs were compared with antisense oligonucleotides targeting the same regions; this revealed that effectiveness depends on both the target accessibility and oligonucleotide antiviral strategy. Our new approach of target-site preselection based on segment 5 (+)RNA secondary structure led to effective viral inhibition and a better understanding of the impact of RNA structural motifs on the influenza replication cycle.
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Simon LM, Morandi E, Luganini A, Gribaudo G, Martinez-Sobrido L, Turner DH, Oliviero S, Incarnato D. In vivo analysis of influenza A mRNA secondary structures identifies critical regulatory motifs. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:7003-7017. [PMID: 31053845 PMCID: PMC6648356 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The influenza A virus (IAV) is a continuous health threat to humans as well as animals due to its recurring epidemics and pandemics. The IAV genome is segmented and the eight negative-sense viral RNAs (vRNAs) are transcribed into positive sense complementary RNAs (cRNAs) and viral messenger RNAs (mRNAs) inside infected host cells. A role for the secondary structure of IAV mRNAs has been hypothesized and debated for many years, but knowledge on the structure mRNAs adopt in vivo is currently missing. Here we solve, for the first time, the in vivo secondary structure of IAV mRNAs in living infected cells. We demonstrate that, compared to the in vitro refolded structure, in vivo IAV mRNAs are less structured but exhibit specific locally stable elements. Moreover, we show that the targeted disruption of these high-confidence structured domains results in an extraordinary attenuation of IAV replicative capacity. Collectively, our data provide the first comprehensive map of the in vivo structural landscape of IAV mRNAs, hence providing the means for the development of new RNA-targeted antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Marie Simon
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Edoardo Morandi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Anna Luganini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Giorgio Gribaudo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Luis Martinez-Sobrido
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Douglas H Turner
- Department of Chemistry and Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Salvatore Oliviero
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
| | - Danny Incarnato
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Biologia dei Sistemi, Università di Torino, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Torino, Italy
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Michalak P, Soszynska-Jozwiak M, Biala E, Moss WN, Kesy J, Szutkowska B, Lenartowicz E, Kierzek R, Kierzek E. Secondary structure of the segment 5 genomic RNA of influenza A virus and its application for designing antisense oligonucleotides. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3801. [PMID: 30846846 PMCID: PMC6406010 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40443-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza virus causes seasonal epidemics and dangerous pandemic outbreaks. It is a single stranded (-)RNA virus with a segmented genome. Eight segments of genomic viral RNA (vRNA) form the virion, which are then transcribed and replicated in host cells. The secondary structure of vRNA is an important regulator of virus biology and can be a target for finding new therapeutics. In this paper, the secondary structure of segment 5 vRNA is determined based on chemical mapping data, free energy minimization and structure-sequence conservation analysis for type A influenza. The revealed secondary structure has circular folding with a previously reported panhandle motif and distinct novel domains. Conservations of base pairs is 87% on average with many structural motifs that are highly conserved. Isoenergetic microarray mapping was used to additionally validate secondary structure and to discover regions that easy bind short oligonucleotides. Antisense oligonucleotides, which were designed based on modeled secondary structure and microarray mapping, inhibit influenza A virus proliferation in MDCK cells. The most potent oligonucleotides lowered virus titer by ~90%. These results define universal for type A structured regions that could be important for virus function, as well as new targets for antisense therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Michalak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Marta Soszynska-Jozwiak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Ewa Biala
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Walter N Moss
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Julita Kesy
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Barbara Szutkowska
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Lenartowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Ryszard Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland.
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Ferhadian D, Contrant M, Printz-Schweigert A, Smyth RP, Paillart JC, Marquet R. Structural and Functional Motifs in Influenza Virus RNAs. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:559. [PMID: 29651275 PMCID: PMC5884886 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza A viruses (IAV) are responsible for recurrent influenza epidemics and occasional devastating pandemics in humans and animals. They belong to the Orthomyxoviridae family and their genome consists of eight (-) sense viral RNA (vRNA) segments of different lengths coding for at least 11 viral proteins. A heterotrimeric polymerase complex is bound to the promoter consisting of the 13 5′-terminal and 12 3′-terminal nucleotides of each vRNA, while internal parts of the vRNAs are associated with multiple copies of the viral nucleoprotein (NP), thus forming ribonucleoproteins (vRNP). Transcription and replication of vRNAs result in viral mRNAs (vmRNAs) and complementary RNAs (cRNAs), respectively. Complementary RNAs are the exact positive copies of vRNAs; they also form ribonucleoproteins (cRNPs) and are intermediate templates in the vRNA amplification process. On the contrary, vmRNAs have a 5′ cap snatched from cellular mRNAs and a 3′ polyA tail, both gained by the viral polymerase complex. Hence, unlike vRNAs and cRNAs, vmRNAs do not have a terminal promoter able to recruit the viral polymerase. Furthermore, synthesis of at least two viral proteins requires vmRNA splicing. Except for extensive analysis of the viral promoter structure and function and a few, mostly bioinformatics, studies addressing the vRNA and vmRNA structure, structural studies of the influenza A vRNAs, cRNAs, and vmRNAs are still in their infancy. The recent crystal structures of the influenza polymerase heterotrimeric complex drastically improved our understanding of the replication and transcription processes. The vRNA structure has been mainly studied in vitro using RNA probing, but its structure has been very recently studied within native vRNPs using crosslinking and RNA probing coupled to next generation RNA sequencing. Concerning vmRNAs, most studies focused on the segment M and NS splice sites and several structures initially predicted by bioinformatics analysis have now been validated experimentally and their role in the viral life cycle demonstrated. This review aims to compile the structural motifs found in the different RNA classes (vRNA, cRNA, and vmRNA) of influenza viruses and their function in the viral replication cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Ferhadian
- CNRS - UPR 9002, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Maud Contrant
- CNRS - UPR 9002, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Printz-Schweigert
- CNRS - UPR 9002, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Redmond P Smyth
- CNRS - UPR 9002, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Paillart
- CNRS - UPR 9002, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Roland Marquet
- CNRS - UPR 9002, Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, IBMC, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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8
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Moss WN. RNA2DMut: a web tool for the design and analysis of RNA structure mutations. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:273-286. [PMID: 29183923 PMCID: PMC5824348 DOI: 10.1261/rna.063933.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
With the widespread application of high-throughput sequencing, novel RNA sequences are being discovered at an astonishing rate. The analysis of function, however, lags behind. In both the cis- and trans-regulatory functions of RNA, secondary structure (2D base-pairing) plays essential regulatory roles. In order to test RNA function, it is essential to be able to design and analyze mutations that can affect structure. This was the motivation for the creation of the RNA2DMut web tool. With RNA2DMut, users can enter in RNA sequences to analyze, constrain mutations to specific residues, or limit changes to purines/pyrimidines. The sequence is analyzed at each base to determine the effect of every possible point mutation on 2D structure. The metrics used in RNA2DMut rely on the calculation of the Boltzmann structure ensemble and do not require a robust 2D model of RNA structure for designing mutations. This tool can facilitate a wide array of uses involving RNA: for example, in designing and evaluating mutants for biological assays, interrogating RNA-protein interactions, identifying key regions to alter in SELEX experiments, and improving RNA folding and crystallization properties for structural biology. Additional tools are available to help users introduce other mutations (e.g., indels and substitutions) and evaluate their effects on RNA structure. Example calculations are shown for five RNAs that require 2D structure for their function: the MALAT1 mascRNA, an influenza virus splicing regulatory motif, the EBER2 viral noncoding RNA, the Xist lncRNA repA region, and human Y RNA 5. RNA2DMut can be accessed at https://rna2dmut.bb.iastate.edu/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter N Moss
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
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9
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Lim CS, Brown CM. Know Your Enemy: Successful Bioinformatic Approaches to Predict Functional RNA Structures in Viral RNAs. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2582. [PMID: 29354101 PMCID: PMC5758548 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Structured RNA elements may control virus replication, transcription and translation, and their distinct features are being exploited by novel antiviral strategies. Viral RNA elements continue to be discovered using combinations of experimental and computational analyses. However, the wealth of sequence data, notably from deep viral RNA sequencing, viromes, and metagenomes, necessitates computational approaches being used as an essential discovery tool. In this review, we describe practical approaches being used to discover functional RNA elements in viral genomes. In addition to success stories in new and emerging viruses, these approaches have revealed some surprising new features of well-studied viruses e.g., human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, influenza, and dengue viruses. Some notable discoveries were facilitated by new comparative analyses of diverse viral genome alignments. Importantly, comparative approaches for finding RNA elements embedded in coding and non-coding regions differ. With the exponential growth of computer power we have progressed from stem-loop prediction on single sequences to cutting edge 3D prediction, and from command line to user friendly web interfaces. Despite these advances, many powerful, user friendly prediction tools and resources are underutilized by the virology community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Shen Lim
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Chris M Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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10
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Soszynska-Jozwiak M, Michalak P, Moss WN, Kierzek R, Kesy J, Kierzek E. Influenza virus segment 5 (+)RNA - secondary structure and new targets for antiviral strategies. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15041. [PMID: 29118447 PMCID: PMC5678188 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15317-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza A virus is a threat for humans due to seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. This virus can generate new strains that are dangerous through nucleotide/amino acid changes or through segmental recombination of the viral RNA genome. It is important to gain wider knowledge about influenza virus RNA to create new strategies for drugs that will inhibit its spread. Here, we present the experimentally determined secondary structure of the influenza segment 5 (+)RNA. Two RNAs were studied: the full-length segment 5 (+)RNA and a shorter construct containing only the coding region. Chemical mapping data combined with thermodynamic energy minimization were used in secondary structure prediction. Sequence/structure analysis showed that the determined secondary structure of segment 5 (+)RNA is mostly conserved between influenza virus type A strains. Microarray mapping and RNase H cleavage identified accessible sites for oligonucleotides in the revealed secondary structure of segment 5 (+)RNA. Antisense oligonucleotides were designed based on the secondary structure model and tested against influenza virus in cell culture. Inhibition of influenza virus proliferation was noticed, identifying good targets for antisense strategies. Effective target sites fall within two domains, which are conserved in sequence/structure indicating their importance to the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Soszynska-Jozwiak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704, Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Paula Michalak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704, Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Walter N Moss
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biophysics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, United States of America
| | - Ryszard Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704, Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Julita Kesy
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704, Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704, Poznan, Noskowskiego 12/14, Poland.
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11
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Soemedi R, Cygan KJ, Rhine CL, Glidden DT, Taggart AJ, Lin CL, Fredericks AM, Fairbrother WG. The effects of structure on pre-mRNA processing and stability. Methods 2017; 125:36-44. [PMID: 28595983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-mRNA molecules can form a variety of structures, and both secondary and tertiary structures have important effects on processing, function and stability of these molecules. The prediction of RNA secondary structure is a challenging problem and various algorithms that use minimum free energy, maximum expected accuracy and comparative evolutionary based methods have been developed to predict secondary structures. However, these tools are not perfect, and this remains an active area of research. The secondary structure of pre-mRNA molecules can have an enhancing or inhibitory effect on pre-mRNA splicing. An example of enhancing structure can be found in a novel class of introns in zebrafish. About 10% of zebrafish genes contain a structured intron that forms a bridging hairpin that enforces correct splice site pairing. Negative examples of splicing include local structures around splice sites that decrease splicing efficiency and potentially cause mis-splicing leading to disease. Splicing mutations are a frequent cause of hereditary disease. The transcripts of disease genes are significantly more structured around the splice sites, and point mutations that increase the local structure often cause splicing disruptions. Post-splicing, RNA secondary structure can also affect the stability of the spliced intron and regulatory RNA interference pathway intermediates, such as pre-microRNAs. Additionally, RNA secondary structure has important roles in the innate immune defense against viruses. Finally, tertiary structure can also play a large role in pre-mRNA splicing. One example is the G-quadruplex structure, which, similar to secondary structure, can either enhance or inhibit splicing through mechanisms such as creating or obscuring RNA binding protein sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Soemedi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA; Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, 115 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Kamil J Cygan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA; Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, 115 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Christy L Rhine
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
| | - David T Glidden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA; Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, 115 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Allison J Taggart
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
| | - Chien-Ling Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
| | - Alger M Fredericks
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
| | - William G Fairbrother
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA; Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, 115 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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12
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Sobel Leonard A, McClain MT, Smith GJD, Wentworth DE, Halpin RA, Lin X, Ransier A, Stockwell TB, Das SR, Gilbert AS, Lambkin-Williams R, Ginsburg GS, Woods CW, Koelle K, Illingworth CJR. The effective rate of influenza reassortment is limited during human infection. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006203. [PMID: 28170438 PMCID: PMC5315410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
We characterise the evolutionary dynamics of influenza infection described by viral sequence data collected from two challenge studies conducted in human hosts. Viral sequence data were collected at regular intervals from infected hosts. Changes in the sequence data observed across time show that the within-host evolution of the virus was driven by the reversion of variants acquired during previous passaging of the virus. Treatment of some patients with oseltamivir on the first day of infection did not lead to the emergence of drug resistance variants in patients. Using an evolutionary model, we inferred the effective rate of reassortment between viral segments, measuring the extent to which randomly chosen viruses within the host exchange genetic material. We find strong evidence that the rate of effective reassortment is low, such that genetic associations between polymorphic loci in different segments are preserved during the course of an infection in a manner not compatible with epistasis. Combining our evidence with that of previous studies we suggest that spatial heterogeneity in the viral population may reduce the extent to which reassortment is observed. Our results do not contradict previous findings of high rates of viral reassortment in vitro and in small animal studies, but indicate that in human hosts the effective rate of reassortment may be substantially more limited. The influenza virus is an important cause of disease in the human population. During the course of an infection the virus can evolve rapidly. An important mechanism of viral evolution is reassortment, whereby different segments of the influenza genome are shuffled with other segments, producing new viral combinations. Here we study natural selection and reassortment during the course of infections occurring in human hosts. Examining viral genome sequence data from these infections, we note that genetic variants that were acquired during the growth of viruses in culture are selected against in the human host. In addition, we find evidence that the effective rate of reassortment is low. We suggest that the spatial separation between viruses in different parts of the host airway may limit the extent to which genetically distinct segments reassort with one another. Within the global population of influenza viruses, reassortment remains an important factor. However, reassortment is not so rapid as to exclude the possibility of interactions between genome segments affecting the course of influenza evolution during a single infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Sobel Leonard
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Micah T. McClain
- Duke Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Gavin J. D. Smith
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - David E. Wentworth
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Rebecca A. Halpin
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xudong Lin
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Amy Ransier
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Suman R. Das
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anthony S. Gilbert
- hVivo PLC, The QMB Innovation Centre, Queen Mary, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Lambkin-Williams
- hVivo PLC, The QMB Innovation Centre, Queen Mary, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey S. Ginsburg
- Duke Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Christopher W. Woods
- Duke Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Katia Koelle
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Christopher J. R. Illingworth
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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13
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Subtype-specific structural constraints in the evolution of influenza A virus hemagglutinin genes. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38892. [PMID: 27966593 PMCID: PMC5155281 DOI: 10.1038/srep38892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The influenza A virus genome consists of eight RNA segments. RNA structures within these segments and complementary (cRNA) and protein-coding mRNAs may play a role in virus replication. Here, conserved putative secondary structures that impose significant evolutionary constraints on the gene segment encoding the surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA) were investigated using available sequence data on tens of thousands of virus strains. Structural constraints were identified by analysis of covariations of nucleotides suggested to be paired by structure prediction algorithms. The significance of covariations was estimated by mutual information calculations and tracing multiple covariation events during virus evolution. Covariation patterns demonstrated that structured domains in HA RNAs were mostly subtype-specific, whereas some structures were conserved in several subtypes. The influence of RNA folding on virus replication was studied by plaque assays of mutant viruses with disrupted structures. The results suggest that over the whole length of the HA segment there are local structured domains which contribute to the virus fitness but individually are not essential for the virus. Existence of subtype-specific structured regions in the segments of the influenza A virus genome is apparently an important factor in virus evolution and reassortment of its genes.
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14
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Lenartowicz E, Nogales A, Kierzek E, Kierzek R, Martínez-Sobrido L, Turner DH. Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting Influenza A Segment 8 Genomic RNA Inhibit Viral Replication. Nucleic Acid Ther 2016; 26:277-285. [PMID: 27463680 PMCID: PMC5067832 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2016.0619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV) affects 5%–10% of the world's population every year. Through genome changes, many IAV strains develop resistance to currently available anti-influenza therapeutics. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new targets for therapeutics against this important human respiratory pathogen. In this study, 2′-O-methyl and locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were designed to target internal regions of influenza A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) genomic viral RNA segment 8 (vRNA8) based on a base-pairing model of vRNA8. Ten of 14 tested ASOs showed inhibition of viral replication in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The best five ASOs were 11–15 nucleotides long and showed inhibition ranging from 5- to 25-fold. In a cell viability assay they showed no cytotoxicity. The same five ASOs also showed no inhibition of influenza B/Brisbane/60/2008 (Victoria lineage), indicating that they are sequence specific for IAV. Moreover, combinations of ASOs slightly improved anti-influenza activity. These studies establish the accessibility of IAV vRNA for ASOs in regions other than the panhandle formed between the 5′ and 3′ ends. Thus, these regions can provide targets for the development of novel IAV antiviral approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aitor Nogales
- 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester , Rochester, New York
| | - Elzbieta Kierzek
- 3 Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences , Poznan, Poland
| | - Ryszard Kierzek
- 3 Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences , Poznan, Poland
| | - Luis Martínez-Sobrido
- 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester , Rochester, New York
| | - Douglas H Turner
- 1 Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester , Rochester, New York
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15
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Lenartowicz E, Kesy J, Ruszkowska A, Soszynska-Jozwiak M, Michalak P, Moss WN, Turner DH, Kierzek R, Kierzek E. Self-Folding of Naked Segment 8 Genomic RNA of Influenza A Virus. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0148281. [PMID: 26848969 PMCID: PMC4743857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza A is a negative sense RNA virus that kills hundreds of thousands of humans each year. Base pairing in RNA is very favorable, but possibilities for RNA secondary structure of the influenza genomic RNA have not been investigated. This work presents the first experimentally-derived exploration of potential secondary structure in an influenza A naked (protein-free) genomic segment. Favorable folding regions are revealed by in vitro chemical structure mapping, thermodynamics, bioinformatics, and binding to isoenergetic microarrays of an entire natural sequence of the 875 nt segment 8 vRNA and of a smaller fragment. Segment 8 has thermodynamically stable and evolutionarily conserved RNA structure and encodes essential viral proteins NEP and NS1. This suggests that vRNA self-folding may generate helixes and loops that are important at one or more stages of the influenza life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Lenartowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61–704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Julita Kesy
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61–704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Ruszkowska
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61–704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marta Soszynska-Jozwiak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61–704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Paula Michalak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61–704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Walter N. Moss
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 14627, United States of America
| | - Douglas H. Turner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, 14627, United States of America
| | - Ryszard Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61–704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Kierzek
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61–704 Poznan, Poland
- * E-mail:
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