Characterization of dominant-negative and temperature-sensitive mutants of tombusvirus replication proteins affecting replicase assembly.

The assembly of the viral replicase complex (VRC) on subcellular membranes is a key step in the replication process of plus-stranded RNA viruses. In this work, we have identified lethal and temperature sensitive (ts) point mutations within the essential p33:p33/p92 interaction domain of p33 and p92 replication proteins of Cucumber necrosis virus, a tombusvirus. Mutations within the p33:p33/p92 interaction domain also affected viral RNA recombination in yeast model host. An in vitro approach based on yeast cell free extract demonstrated that several p33 and p92 mutants behaved as dominant-negative during VRC assembly, and they showed reduced binding to the viral (+)RNA and affected activation of the p92 RdRp protein, while they did not directly influence (-) or (+)-strand synthesis. Overall, the presented data provide direct evidence that the p33:p33/p92 interaction domains in p33 and p92 are needed for the early stage of virus replication and also influence viral recombination.

Defining the roles of cis-acting RNA elements in tombusvirus replicase assembly in vitro.

In addition to its central role as a template for replication and translation, the viral plus-strand RNA genome also has nontemplate functions, such as recruitment to the site of replication and assembly of the viral replicase, activities that are mediated by cis-acting RNA elements within viral genomes. Two noncontiguous RNA elements, RII(+)-SL (located internally in the tombusvirus genome) and RIV (located at the 3'-terminus), are involved in template recruitment into replication and replicase assembly; however, the importance of each of these RNA elements for these two distinct functions is not fully elucidated. We used an in vitro replicase assembly assay based on yeast cell extract and purified recombinant tombusvirus replication proteins to show that RII(+)-SL, in addition to its known requirement for recruitment of the plus-strand RNA into replication, is also necessary for assembly of an active viral replicase complex. Additional studies using a novel two-component RNA system revealed that the recruitment function of RII(+)-SL can be provided in trans by a separate RNA and that the replication silencer element, located within RIV, defines the template that is used for initiation of minus-strand synthesis. Collectively, this work has revealed new functions for tombusvirus cis-acting RNA elements and provided insights into the pioneering round of minus-strand synthesis.

Non-template functions of the viral RNA in plant RNA virus replication.

In addition to the essential function of the viral RNA as a template during replication of positive-stranded (+)RNA viruses, the RNA also has crucial non-template functions. These functions during replication include the recruitment of the viral RNA to the site of replication and assembly of the functional viral replicase complex. The RNA recruitment elements are specifically recognized by the viral replication protein, but also affected by host factors such as elongation factor 1A or P-body proteins. The cis-elements for replicase assembly can partially overlap with RNA recruitment elements and they may provide a platform for the assembly of the replicase complex consisting of viral and host proteins. This review focuses on our current knowledge obtained with tombusviruses and other plant viruses. Altogether, understanding of the non-template functions of the viral RNA during viral replication provides new insights into virus-host interactions.

Segment-2 sequence analysis and cross-neutralization studies on some Indian bluetongue viruses suggest isolates are VP2-variants of serotype 23.

Sequence analysis of segment 2 (seg-2) of three Indian bluetongue virus (BTV) isolates, Dehradun, Rahuri and Bangalore revealed 99% nucleotide identity amongst them and 96% with the reference BTV 23. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the isolates in 'nucleotype D'. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence of the Bangalore isolate showed a high variability in a few places compared to other isolates. B-cell epitope analyses predicted an epitope that is present exclusively in the Bangalore isolate. Two-way cross serum neutralization confirmed that Bangalore isolate is antigenically different from the other two isolates. The results of this study suggest that these three isolates are VP2 variants of BTV 23. This signifies that non-cross-neutralizing variants of the same BTV serotype should be included in vaccine preparation.

Defective Interfering RNAs: Foes of Viruses and Friends of Virologists.

Defective interfering (DI) RNAs are subviral RNAs produced during multiplication of RNA viruses by the error-prone viral replicase. DI-RNAs are parasitic RNAs that are derived from and associated with the parent virus, taking advantage of viral-coded protein factors for their multiplication. Recent advances in the field of DI RNA biology has led to a greater understanding about generation and evolution of DI-RNAs as well as the mechanism of symptom attenuation. Moreover, DI-RNAs are versatile tools in the hands of virologists and are used as less complex surrogate templates to understand the biology of their helper viruses. The ease of their genetic manipulation has resulted in rapid discoveries on cis-acting RNA replication elements required for replication and recombination. DI-RNAs have been further exploited to discover host factors that modulate Tomato bushy stunt virus replication, as well as viral RNA recombination. This review discusses the current models on generation and evolution of DI-RNAs, the roles of viral and host factors in DI-RNA replication, and the mechanisms of disease attenuation.

The host Pex19p plays a role in peroxisomal localization of tombusvirus replication proteins.

Replication of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) RNA takes place on the cytosolic membrane surface of peroxisomes in plants and in yeast, a model host. To identify the host proteins involved in assisting the peroxisomal localization of the tombusvirus p33 replication protein, we tested if p33 could bind directly to yeast proteins involved in peroxisomal transport in vitro. This work has led to the demonstration of Pex19p-p33 interaction via pull-down and co-purification experiments. Pex19p was also detected in the tombusvirus replicase after protein cross-linking, suggesting that Pex19p transiently binds to the replicase as could be expected from a transporter. To validate the importance of Pex19p-p33 interaction in TBSV replication in yeast, we re-targeted Pex19p to the mitochondria, which resulted in the re-distribution of a large fraction of p33 to the mitochondria. The expression of the mitochondrial-targeted Pex19p inhibited TBSV RNA accumulation by 2-4-fold in vivo and reduced the in vitro activity of the tombusvirus replicase by 80%. These data support the model that Pex19p is a cellular transporter for localization of p33 replication protein to the host peroxisomal membranes.

Exploiting alternative subcellular location for replication: tombusvirus replication switches to the endoplasmic reticulum in the absence of peroxisomes.

Plus-strand RNA virus replication takes place on distinct membranous surfaces in infected cells via the assembly of viral replicase complexes involving multiple viral and host proteins. One group of tombusviruses, such as Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), replicate on the surfaces of peroxisomal membranes in plant and yeast cells. Surprisingly, previous genome-wide screen performed in yeast demonstrated that a TBSV replicon RNA replicated as efficiently in yeast defective in peroxisome biogenesis as in the wt yeast (Panavas et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2005). To further test how the lack of peroxisomes could affect tombusvirus replication, we used yeast cells missing either PEX3 or PEX19 genes, which are absolutely essential for peroxisome biogenesis. Confocal microscopy-based approach revealed that the wild-type tombusvirus p33 replication protein accumulated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in pex3Delta or pex19Delta yeast, suggesting that tombusvirus replication could take place on the surface of ER membrane. The activities of the isolated tombusvirus replicase preparations from wt, pex3Delta or pex19Delta yeasts were comparable, demonstrating that the assembly of the replicase was as efficient in the ER as in the authentic subcellular environments. The generation/accumulation of tombusvirus recombinants was similar in wt, pex3Delta and pex19Delta yeasts, suggesting that the rate of mistakes occurring during tombusvirus replication is comparable in the presence or absence of peroxisomes. Overall, this work demonstrates that a tombusvirus, relying on the wt replication proteins, can efficiently replicate on an alternative intracellular membrane. This suggests that RNA viruses might have remarkable flexibility for using various host membranes for their replication.