Modification of RNA by mRNA guanylyltransferase and mRNA (guanine-7-)methyltransferase from vaccinia virions.

A purified enzyme system isolated from vaccinia virus cores has been shown to modify the 5' termini of viral mRNA and synthetic poly(A) and poly(G) to form the structures m7G(5')pppA- and m7G(5')pppG-. The enzyme system has both guanylyltransferase and methyltransferase activities. The GTP:mRNA guanylyltransferase activity incorporates GMP into the 5' terminus via a 5'-5' triphosphate bond. The properties of this reaction are: (a) of the four nucleoside triphosphates only GTP is a donor, (b) mRNA with two phosphates at the 5' terminus is an acceptor while RNA with a single 5'-terminal phosphate is not, (c) Mg2+ is required, (d) the pH optimum is 7.8, (e) PP1 is a strong inhibitor, and (f) the reverse reaction, namely the formation of GTP from PP1 and RNA containing the 5'-terminal structure G(5')pppN-, readily occurs. The S-adenosylmethionine:mRNA(guanine-7-)methyltransferase activity catalyzes the methylation of the 5'-terminal guanosine. This reaction exhibits the following characteristics: (a) mRNA with the 5'-terminal sequences G(5')pppA- and G(5')pppG- are acceptors, (b) only position 7 of the terminal guanosine is methylated; internal or conventional 5'-terminal guanosine residues are not methylated, (c) the reaction is not dependent upon GTP or divalent cations, (d) optimal activity is observed in a broad pH range around neutrality, (e) the reaction is inhibited by S-adenosylhomocysteine. Both the guanylyltransferase and methyltransferase reactions exhibit bisubstrate kinetics and proceed via a sequential mechanism. The reactions may be summarized: (see article).     

Influence of 5'-terminal cap structure on the initiation of translation of vaccinia virus mRNA

The ability of methylated vaccinia virus mRNA to bind to ribosomes derived from wheat germ of rabbit reticulocyte lysates has been studied after beta elimination, to remove the 5'-terminal m7G, and after "recapping" of beta-eliminated mRNA molecules using guanylyltransferase.guanine-7-methyltransferase complex from vaccinia virions. Removal of m7G from the mRNA results in significant loss of ability to bind to ribosomes and to simulate protein synthesis in vitro. Readdition of m7G, but not of unmethylated guanosine to the 5' end results in recovery of both of these functions. To evaluate the role of 2'-O-methylation of the penultimate ribonucleoside, mRNAs containing m7G-(5')pppA- and m7G(5')pppG- as well as m7G(5')pppAm- and m7G(5')pppGm- ends were synthesized in vitro at limiting S-adenosylmethionine concentrations by vaccinia virus cores. By comparing the cap sequences of ribosome-bound and unbound mRNAs, we concluded that 2'-O-methylation has at most a minor effect compared to that of m7G upon ribosome binding under in vitro conditions. Only at high input mRNA concentrations, at which competition might occur, was there some ribodomal enrichment of mRNAs containing a specific terminal structure, namely m7G(5')pppAm-.     

Synthesis of mRNA guanylyltransferase and mRNA methyltransferases in cells infected with vaccinia virus.

Guanylyltransferase and methyltransferases that modify the 5'-terminals of viral mRNA's to form the structures m7G(5')pppAm- and m7G(5')pppGm- appear to be synthesized afte- vaccinia virus infection of HeLa cells. Elevations in these enzyme activities were detected within 1 h after virus inoculation and increased 15- to 30-fold by 4 to 10 h. Increases in the guanylyl- and methyltransferase activities were prevented by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, but not by cytosine arabinoside, an inhibitor of DNA synthesis. The latter results suggest that the mRNA guanylyl- and methyltransferases are "early" or prereplicative viral gene products. The guanylyltransferase and two methyltransferases, a guanine-7-methyltransferase and nucleoside-2'-methyltransferase, were isolated by column chromatography from infected cell extracts and found to have properties similar or identical to those of the corresponding enzyme previously isolated from vaccinia virus cores. In contrast, enzymes with these properties could not be isolated from uninfected cells.     

Purification of mRNA guanylyltransferase and mRNA (guanine-7-) methyltransferase from vaccinia virions.

The sequences m7G(5')pppGm-and m7G(5')pppAm-are located at the 5' termini of vaccinia mRNAs. Two novel enzymatic activities have been purified from vaccinia virus cores which modify the 5' terminus of unmethylated mRNA. One activity transfers GMP from GTP to mRNA and is designated a GTP: mRNA guanylyltransferase. The second activity transfers a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to position 7 of the added guanosine and is designated a S-adenosylmethionine: mRNA (guanine-7-)methyltransferase. Advantage was taken of the selective binding of these activities to homopolyribonucleotides relative to DNA to achieve a 200-fold increase in specific activity. The guanylyl- and methyltransferase remained inseparable during chromatography on DNA-agarose, poly(U)-Sepharose, poly(A)-Sepharose, and Sephadex G-200 and during sedimentation through sucrose density gradients suggesting they were associated. A Stokes radius of 5.0 nm, an S20,w of 6.0 and a molecular weight of 127,000 were obtained by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 and sedimentation in sucrose density gradients. Under denaturing conditions of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis two major polypeptides were detected in purified enzyme preparations. Their molecular weights of 95,000 and 31,400 suggested they were polypeptide components of the 127,000 molecular weight enzyme system.     

mRNA methylation and protein synthesis in extracts from embryos of brine shrimp, Artemia salina.

Cell-free protein-synthesizing extracts prepared from the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, translate methylated mRNAs. Reovirus unmethylated mRNA is inactive as a template when methylation is prevented by the inhibitor, S-adenosylhomocysteine. A salina mRNAs from both undeveloped and developed embryos contain 5'-terminal 7-methylguanosine in an inverted 5'-5' linkage through three phosphate groups to the rest of the polynucleotide chain. Removal of the 7-methylguanosine by beta elimination converts the mRNA from an active form to one inactive in protein synthesis in extracts of A. salina or wheat germ. Extracts of undeveloped and developed embryos methylate reovirus unmethylated mRNA at the 5' ends to form 5'-terminal structures of the type, m7G(5')ppp(5')G and m7G(5')ppp(5')Gm.     

Cloning and characterization of mRNA capping enzyme and mRNA (Guanine-7-)-methyltransferase cDNAs from Xenopus laevis

The mRNA cap structure, which is synthesized by a series of reactions catalyzed by capping enzyme, mRNA (guanine-7-)-methyltransferase, and mRNA (ribose-2'-O-)-methyltransferase, has crucial roles for RNA processing and translation. Methylation of the cap structure is also implicated in polyadenylation-mediated translational activation during Xenopus oocyte maturation. Here we isolated two Xenopus laevis cDNAs, xCAP1a and xCAP1b, for mRNA capping enzyme and one cDNA for mRNA (guanine-7-)-methyltransferase, xCMT1, which encode 598, 511, and 402 amino acids, respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of xCAP1a was highly homologous to that of human capping enzyme hCAP1a, having all the characteristic regions including N-terminal RNA 5'-triphosphatase as well as C-terminal mRNA guanylyltransferase domains which are conserved among animal mRNA guanylyltransferases, whereas in xCAP1b the most C-terminal motif was missing. The amino acid sequence of xCMT1 was also similar to human (guanine-7-)-methyltransferase, hCMT1a, with all the conserved motifs among cellular (guanine-7-)-methyltransferases, except for its N-terminal portion. The recombinant xCAP1a and xCMT1 exhibited cap formation and mRNA (guanine-7-)-methyltransferase activities, respectively. RT-PCR analysis showed that mRNA for xCAP1a and xCMT1 exist abundantly in fertilized eggs as maternal mRNAs, but xCMT1 mRNA gradually decreased in its amount in later stages of early development.     

Catalytic activity of vaccinia mRNA capping enzyme subunits coexpressed in Escherichia coli

RNA triphosphatase, RNA guanylyltransferase, and RNA (guanine-7)-methyltransferase activities are associated with the vaccinia virus mRNA capping enzyme, a heterodimeric protein containing polypeptides of Mr 95,000 and Mr 31,000. The genes encoding the large and small subunits (corresponding to the D1 and the D12 ORFs, respectively, of the viral genome) were coexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) under the control of a bacteriophage T7 promoter. Guanylyltransferase activity (assayed as the formation of a covalent enzyme-guanylate complex) was detected in soluble lysates of these bacteria. A 1000-fold purification of the guanylyltransferase was achieved by ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatography using phosphocellulose and SP5PW columns. Partially purified guanylytransferase synthesized GpppA caps when provided with 5'-triphosphate-terminated poly(A) as a cap acceptor. In the presence of AdoMet the enzyme catalyzed concomitant cap methylation with 99% efficiency. Inclusion of S-adenosyl methionine increased both the rate and extent of RNA capping, permitting quantitative modification of RNA 5' ends. Guanylyltransferase sedimented as a single component of 6.5 S during further purification in a glycerol gradient; this S value is identical with that of the heterodimeric capping enzyme from vaccinia virions. Electrophoretic analysis showed a major polypeptide of Mr 95,000 cosedimenting with the guanylyltransferase. RNA triphosphatase activity cosedimented exactly with guanylyltransferase. Methyltransferase activity was associated with guanylyltransferase and was also present in less rapidly sedimenting fractions. The methyltransferase activity profile correlated with the presence of a Mr 31,000 polypeptide. These results indicate that the D1 and D12 gene products are together sufficient to catalyze all three enzymatic steps in cap synthesis. A model for the domain structure of this enzyme is proposed.     

Histidine tRNA guanylyltransferase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. II. Catalytic mechanism.

Yeast histidine tRNA guanylyltransferase (TGT) catalyzes in the presence of ATP the addition of GTP to the 5' end of eukaryotic cytoplasmic tRNAHis species. A study of the enzyme mechanism with purified protein showed that during the first step ATP is cleaved to AMP and PPi creating adenylylated TGT. In a second step the activated enzyme forms a stable complex with its cognate tRNA substrate. The 5'-phosphate of the tRNA is adenylylated by nucleotide transfer from the adenylylated guanylyltransferase to form A(5')pp(5')N at the 5'-end of the tRNA. Finally, the 3'-hydroxyl of GTP adds to the activated 5' terminus of the tRNA with the release of AMP. This mechanism of tRNAHis guanylyltransferase is very similar to that of RNA ligases. dATP can substitute for ATP in this reaction. Since among several guanosine compounds active in this reaction GTP is most efficiently added we believe that it is the natural substrate of TGT.     

Purification of mRNA guanylyltransferase from calf thymus.

mRNA guanylyltransferase has been extensively purified from calf thymus. A GTP-binding assay was used based on the observations by Shuman and Hurwitz (1981) and Venkatesan and Moss (1982) that vaccinia virus and HeLa cell mRNA guanylyltransferases bind the GMP moiety from GTP in the absence of an acceptor RNA. The mol. wt. of the purified enzyme from calf thymus, estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS, is 65 000. The major protein in the purified enzyme fraction comigrates with the peptide labelled with GMP. Based on scans of silver-stained polyacrylamide gels, mRNA guanylyltransferase constitutes greater than 50% of the protein in these fractions. The enzyme catalyzed the guanylylation at the 5' end of poly(A) with a mixture of diphosphate and triphosphate ends. No evidence was obtained for a direct interaction between mRNA guanylyltransferase and RNA polymerase B (II).     

5'-Terminal and internal methylated nucleotide sequences in HeLa cell mRNA.

The 5'-terminal oligonucleotides m7G(5')ppp(5')NmpNp and m7G(5')ppp(5')NmpNmpNp were isolated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography after enzymatic digestion of 32P- or methyl-3H-labeled poly(A)" HeLa cell mRNA. The recovery of such oligonucleotides indicated that a high percentage of mRNA has blocked termini. The dimethylated nucleoside, N6, O2'-dimethyladenosine (m6Am), as well as the four common 2'-O-methylribonucleosides (Gm, Am, Um, Cm) were present in the second position linked through the triphosphate bridge to 7-methylguanosine (m7G) whereas little m6Am was in the third position. The only internal methylated nucleoside, N6-methyladenosine (m6A), was found exclusively as m6ApC and Apm6ApC after digestion with RNase A, T1, and alkaline phosphatase. Digestion with RNase A and alkaline phat pyrimidines are present in much smaller amounts or absent from this position. These results imply a considerable sequence specificity since there are thousands of different mRNA species in HeLa cells. Our studies are consistent with the following model of HeLa cell mRNA in which Nm may be m6Am, Gm, Cm, Um, or Am and one or more m6A residues are present at an unspecified internal location: m7G(5')ppp(5')Nm-(Nm)---(G or A)-m6A-C---(A)100-200A.     

Characterization of Novikoff hepatoma mRNA methylation and heterogeneity in the methylated 5' terminus.

KOH digestion of methyl-labeled poly(A)+ mRNA purified by (dT)-cellulose chromatography produced mononucleotide and multiple peaks of a large oligonucleotide (-6 to -8 charge) when separated on the basis of charge by Pellionex-WAX high-speed liquid chromatography in 7 M urea. Heat denaturation of the RNA before application to (dT)-cellulose was required to release contaminants (mostly 18S rRNA) that persisted even after repeated binding to (dT)-cellulose at room temperature. Analysis of the purified poly(A)+ mRNA by enzyme digestion, acid hydrolysis, and a variety of chromatographic techniques has shown that the monucleotide (53%) is due entirely to N6-methyladenosine. The large oligonucleotides (47%) were found to contain 7-methylguanosine and the 2'-0-methyl derivatives of all four nucleosides. No radioactivity was found associated with the poly(A) segment. Periodate oxidation of the mRNA followed by beta elimination released only labeled 7-methylguanine consistent with a blocked 5' terminus containing an unusual 5'-5' bond. Alkaline phosphatase treatment of intact mRNA had no effect on the migration of the KOH produced oligonucleotides on Pellionex-WAX. When RNA from which 7-methylguanine was removed by beta elimination was used for the phosphatase treatment, distinct dinucleotides (NmpNp) and trinucleotides (NmpNmpNp) occurred after KOH hydrolysis and Pellionex-WAX chromatography. Thus Novikoff hepatoma poly(A)+ mRNA molecules can contain either one or two 2'-0-methylnucleotides linked by a 5'-5' bond to a terminal 7-methylguanosine and the 2'-0-methylation can occur with any of the four nucleotides. The 5' terminus may be represented by m7G5'ppp5' (Nmp)lor2Np, a general structure proposed earlier as a possible 5' terminus for all eucaryotic mRNA molecules (Rottman, F., Shatkin, A., and Perry, R. (1974), Cell 3, 197). The composition analyses indicate that there are 3.0 N6-methyladenosine residues, 1.0 7-methylguanosine residue, and 1.7 2'-0-methylnucleoside residues per average mRNA molecule.     

Poly(rC) binding proteins mediate poliovirus mRNA stability

The 5'-terminal 88 nt of poliovirus RNA fold into a cloverleaf RNA structure and form ribonucleoprotein complexes with poly(rC) binding proteins (PCBPs; AV Gamarnik, R Andino, RNA, 1997, 3:882-892; TB Parsley, JS Towner, LB Blyn, E Ehrenfeld, BL Semler, RNA, 1997, 3:1124-1134). To determine the functional role of these ribonucleoprotein complexes in poliovirus replication, HeLa S10 translation-replication reactions were used to quantitatively assay poliovirus mRNA stability, poliovirus mRNA translation, and poliovirus negative-strand RNA synthesis. Ribohomopoly(C) RNA competitor rendered wild-type poliovirus mRNA unstable in these reactions. A 5'-terminal 7-methylguanosine cap prevented the degradation of wild-type poliovirus mRNA in the presence of ribohomopoly(C) competitor. Ribohomopoly(A), -(G), and -(U) did not adversely affect poliovirus mRNA stability. Ribohomopoly(C) competitor RNA inhibited the translation of poliovirus mRNA but did not inhibit poliovirus negative-strand RNA synthesis when poliovirus replication proteins were provided in trans using a chimeric helper mRNA possessing the hepatitis C virus IRES. A C24A mutation prevented UV crosslinking of PCBPs to 5' cloverleaf RNA and rendered poliovirus mRNA unstable. A 5'-terminal 7-methylguanosine cap blocked the degradation of C24A mutant poliovirus mRNA. The C24A mutation did not inhibit the translation of poliovirus mRNA nor diminish viral negative-strand RNA synthesis relative to wild-type RNA. These data support the conclusion that poly(rC) binding protein(s) mediate the stability of poliovirus mRNA by binding to the 5'-terminal cloverleaf structure of poliovirus mRNA. Because of the general conservation of 5' cloverleaf RNA sequences among picornaviruses, including C24 in loop b of the cloverleaf, we suggest that viral mRNA stability of polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and rhinoviruses is mediated by interactions between PCBPs and 5' cloverleaf RNA.     

Association of an RNA 5'-triphosphatase activity with RNA guanylyltransferase partially purified from rat liver nuclei.

An RNA 5'-triphosphatase activity hydrolyzing gamma-phosphate from pppN-RNA was found to be associated with mRNA guanylyltransferase partially purified from rat liver nuclei. The activity specifically removed 32P as inorganic phosphate from [gamma-32P]pppA(pA)n, but not from [beta-32P]pppA(pA)n or from [gamma-32P]ATP. Free SH group(s) were required for its activity, and the reaction was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide. Divalent cations were not required, but were rather inhibitory for the reaction. The RNA 5'-triphosphatase activity could not be separated from the guanylyltransferase activity through successive chromatographies on Sephadex G-150, CM-Sephadex and blue dextran-Sepharose columns. Both activities remained physically associated during sedimentation in glycerol density gradients after high salt treatment. The heat stability of the RNA 5'-triphosphatase activity was almost identical with that of the guanylyltransferase activity. These results indicate that the 69000 mol. wt. protein purified from rat liver nuclei as guanylyltransferase possesses both mRNA capping and RNA 5'-triphosphatase activities.     

RNA capping by HeLa cell RNA guanylyltransferase. Characterization of a covalent protein-guanylate intermediate

RNA capping by partially purified HeLa cell GTP:RNA guanylyltransferase has been shown to occur in the following sequence of two partial reactions involving a covalent protein-guanylate intermediate: (i) E(P68) + GTP in equilibrium E(P68-GMP) + PPi (ii) E(P68-GMP) + ppRNA in equilibrium GpppRNA + E(P68) Initially, the enzyme reacts with GTP in the absence of an RNA cap acceptor to form a covalent protein-guanylate complex. This complex consists of a GMP residue linked via a phosphoamide bond to a Mr = 68,000 protein. The enzyme then transfers the guanylate residue from the Mr = 68,000 polypeptide to the 5' end of diphosphate-terminated poly(a) to yield the capped derivative GpppA(pA)n. Both partial reactions have been shown to be reversible. In the reverse of Reaction i, E(P68--GMP) reacts with PPi to regenerate GTP. In the reverse of Reaction ii, the enzyme catalyzes the transfer of the 5'-GMP from capped RNA to the Mr = 68,000 protein to form protein-guanylate complex. A divalent cation is required for both partial reactions. The Mr = 68,000 protein is presumed to be a subunit of the HeLa guanylyltransferase. This interpretation is consistent with the sedimentation coefficient of 4.2 S of the native enzyme. Preliminary studies of RNA guanylyltransferase from mouse myeloma tumors suggest a similar mechanism of transguanylylation involving a Mr = 68,000 protein-guanylate complex. These data, in conjunction with previous studies of vaccinia virus guanylyltransferase (Shuman, S., and Hurwitz, J. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 78, 187-191) suggests that covalent GMP-enzyme intermediates may be a general feature of the RNA capping reaction.     

Requirement for 7-methylguanosine in translation of globin mRNA in vivo.

The 7-methylguanosine (m7G) residue present in the m7G5' ppp5'X-"CAP" structure of rabbit globin mRNA was removed quantitatively by periodate oxidation followed by beta-elimination in the presence of cyclohexylamine. The RNA thus treated was intact and exhibited no signs of degradation as examined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in formamide. Assay for protein synthesis using a wheat germ cell-free system showed that the globin mRNA lacking m7G had lost most of its messenger activity. Identical treatment, of satellite tobacco necrosis virus (STNV) RNA, which does not contain the 5'-terminal "CAP" structure, resulted in no loss of its mRNA activity. Since the importance of the m7G residue in eukaryotic mRNA has not yet been shown essential for translation in vivo, both untreated and treated globin mRNAs were injected into frog oocytes and their translation into globin was measured at intervals over a ninety-six hour period. Globin mRNA either treated with periodate alone or lacking in m7g altogether were both found to have lost more than 90% of their activity in vivo.     

On the base-stacking in the 5'-terminal cap structure of mRNA: a fluorescence study.

The fluorescence at 370 nm of the 7-methylguanosine residue (m7G) is found to be quenched when the base residue is involved in a stacking interaction with the adenosine residue in the cap structure m7G5' pppA of an eukaryotic mRNA. On the basis of the observed degree of quenching, the amounts of the stacked and unstacked forms in the cap structure have been determined at various temperatures and pH's. It has been found that at pH 6.2 effective enthalpy and entropy in the unstacked leads to stacked change are delta H degrees = 4.4 +/- 0.1 kcal/mole and delta S degrees = - 14.3 +/- 0.2 e.u., respectively. The pka value for the m7G residue is found to be 7.7 at 10 degrees C and 7.3 at 30 degrees C. The stacked structure seems to be less favourable in the deprotonated form that occurs in the higher pH solution. A similar analysis of some other cap structures indicates that the stacked form in m7G5' pppN structure is favourable if N is a purine nucleoside or a 2'-O-methylpyrimidine nucleoside but not for an unmethylated pyrimidine nucleoside.     

Covalent guanylyl intermediate formed by HeLa cell mRNA capping enzyme.

Guanylyltransferase, an enzyme that catalyzes formation of mRNA 5'-terminal caps, was isolated from HeLa cell nuclei. The partially purified preparation, after incubation with [alpha-32P]GTP, yielded a single radiolabeled polypeptide by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The guanylylated product was stable at neutral and alkaline pHs and had a pI of 4 by isoelectric focusing. An apparent molecular weight of approximately 68,000 was estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions. The formation of a covalently linked, radiolabeled GMP-protein complex and the associated release of PPi required the presence of [alpha-32P]GTP and divalent cations and incubation between pH 7 and 9. Reaction with [beta-32P]GTP, [alpha-32P]CTP, [alpha-32P]UTP, or [alpha-32P]ATP did not label the approximately 68,000-dalton polypeptide. Phosphoamide linkage of the GMP-enzyme complex was indicated by its sensitivity to cleavage by acidic hydroxylamine or HCl and not by NaOH or alkaline phosphatase. Both formation of the GMP-enzyme intermediate and synthesis of cap structures of type GpppApG from GTP and ppApG were remarkably temperature independent; the rates of enzyme activity at 0 to 4 degrees C were 30% or more of those obtained at 37 degrees C. Radiolabeled GMP-enzyme complex, isolated by heparin-Sepharose chromatography from reaction mixtures, functioned effectively as a GMP donor for cap synthesis with 5'-diphosphorylated oligo- and polynucleotide acceptors. Alternatively, protein-bound GMP could be transferred to PPi to form GTP. The formation of a guanylylated enzyme intermediate appears to be characteristic of viral and cellular guanylyltransferases that modify eucaryotic mRNA 5' termini.     

5''-Terminal and internal methylated nucleosides in herpes simplex virus type 1 mRNA.

RNA labeled with [methyl-3H]methionine and/or [32P]orthophosphate was isolated from the polyribosomes of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1-infected cells and separated into polyadenylylated [poly(A+)]and non-polyadenylylated [poly(A-)] fractions. Virus-specific RNA was obtained by hybridization in liquid to either excess HSV DNA or filters containing immobilized HSV DNA. Analysis in denaturing sucrose gradients indicated that HSV-specific poly(A+) RNA sedimented in a broad peak, with a modal S value of 20. The ratio of [3H]methyl to 32P decreased with increasing size of RNA, suggesting that each RNA chain contains a similar sumber of methyl groups. Further analysis indicated an average of one RNase-resistant structure of the type m7G(5')pppNmpNp or m7G(5')pppNmpNmpNp per 2,780 nucleotides. The following components were identified in the 5'-terminal oligonucleotides of polyribosome-associated HSV-specific poly(A+) and poly(A-) RNA: 7-methylguanosine, N6,2'-O-dimethyladenosine, and the 2'-O-methyl derivatives of guanosine, adenosine, uridine, and denosine, and the 2'-O-methyl derivatives of guanosine, adenosine, uridine, and cytidine. The most common 5'-terminal sequences were m7G(5')pppm6Am and m7G(5')pppGm. An additional modified nucleoside, N6-methyladenosine, was present in an internal position of HSV-specific RNA.     

Amino acid residues within conserved domain VI of the vesicular stomatitis virus large polymerase protein essential for mRNA cap methyltransferase activity

During mRNA synthesis, the polymerase of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) copies the genomic RNA to produce five capped and polyadenylated mRNAs with the 5'-terminal structure 7mGpppA(m)pApCpApGpNpNpApUpCp. The 5' mRNA processing events are poorly understood but presumably require triphosphatase, guanylyltransferase, [guanine-N-7]- and [ribose-2'-O]-methyltransferase (MTase) activities. Consistent with a role in mRNA methylation, conserved domain VI of the 241-kDa large (L) polymerase protein shares sequence homology with a bacterial [ribose-2'-O]-MTase, FtsJ/RrmJ. In this report, we generated six L gene mutations to test this homology. Individual substitutions to the predicted MTase active-site residues K1651, D1762, K1795, and E1833 yielded viruses with pinpoint plaque morphologies and 10- to 1,000-fold replication defects in single-step growth assays. Consistent with these defects, viral RNA and protein synthesis was diminished. In contrast, alteration of residue G1674 predicted to bind the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine did not significantly perturb viral growth and gene expression. Analysis of the mRNA cap structure revealed that alterations to the predicted active site residues decreased [guanine-N-7]- and [ribose-2'-O]-MTase activity below the limit of detection of our assay. In contrast, the alanine substitution at G1674 had no apparent consequence. These data show that the predicted MTase active-site residues K1651, D1762, K1795, and E1833 within domain VI of the VSV L protein are essential for mRNA cap methylation. A model of mRNA processing consistent with these data is presented.