Analysis of the 3(')-hydroxyl group in Drosophila siRNA function

Members of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) gene family have been shown to be essential for dsRNA-mediated gene silencing based on genetic screens in a variety of organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Arabidopsis, Neurospora, and Dictyostelium. A hallmark of this process is the formation of small 21- to 25-bp dsRNAs, termed siRNAs for small interfering RNAs, which are derived from the dsRNA that initiates gene silencing. We have developed methods to demonstrate that these siRNAs produced in Drosophila embryo extract can be uniformly incorporated into dsRNA in a template-specific manner that is subsequently degraded by RNase III-related enzyme activity to create a second generation of siRNAs. SiRNA function in dsRNA synthesis and mRNA degradation depends upon the integrity of the 3'-hydroxyl of the siRNA, consistent with the interpretation that siRNAs serve as primers for RdRP activity in the formation of dsRNA. This process of siRNA incorporation into dsRNA followed by degradation and the formation of new siRNAs has been termed "degradative PCR" and the proposed mechanism is consistent with the genetic and biochemical data derived from studies in C. elegans, Arabidopsis, Drosophila, and Dictyostelium. The methods used to study the function of both natural and synthetic siRNAs in RNA interference in Drosophila embryo extracts are detailed. The importance of the 3'-hydroxyl group for siRNA function and its incorporation into dsRNA is emphasized and the results support a model that places RNA-dependent RNA polymerase as a key mediator in the RNA interference mechanism in Drosophila.     

Sequence of molecular events involved in induction of allophanate hydrolase.

Addition of urea to an uninduced culture of Saccharomyces at 22 C results in appearance of allophanate hydrolase activity after a lag of 12 min. We have previously demonstrated that both ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein synthesis are needed for this induction to occur. To elucidate the time intervals occupied by known processes involved in induction, temperature-sensitive mutants defective in messenger RNA transport from nucleus to cytoplasm (rna1) and in protein synthesis initiation (prt1) were employed along with an RNA polymerase inhibitor in experiments that measure cumulative synthetic capacity to produce allophanate hydrolase. These measurements identify the time within the lag period at which each of the above processes is completed. We observed that RNA synthesis, rna1 gene product function, and protein synthesis initiation are completed at 1 to 1.5, 4, and 9 to 10 min, respectively.     

Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus-Induced Alterations of Baby Hamster Kidney Cell Macromolecular Biosynthesis: Inhibition of Ribonucleic Acid Methylation and Stimulation of Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis

The kinetics of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein synthesis and RNA methylation were examined after foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection of baby hamster kidney cells. The synthesis of RNA extracted from the whole cells was stimulated two- to threefold above the control level of synthesis. This increased rate was attributed to viral RNA synthesis. The inhibition of host RNA methylation was concomitant with but more pronounced than protein synthesis inhibition. The methylation of transfer RNA was initially inhibited by virus infection, but rose to within 70 to 80% of the control level just prior to the production of maximal amounts of virus-specific RNA polymerase. Cycloheximide studies showed that rapid cessation of protein synthesis did not result in the immediate cessation of RNA methylation. A comparison between the kinetics of inhibition of these processes by cycloheximide and FMDV infection suggests that FMDV selectively inhibits RNA methylation.     

RNA polymerase I from higher plants. Evidence for allosteric regulation and interaction with a nuclear phosphatase activity controlled NTP pool.

RNA polymerase I was isolated from parsley cells grown in suspension culture and from soybean hypocotyls. Kinetic studies of the enzyme revealed that RNA polymerase I is an allosteric regulated enzyme. The enzyme activity was influenced by nucleoside triphosphates (NTP) and divalent cations. NTP exceeding a 1:1 ratio of these two components acted as allosteric inhibitors, contrary to free divalent cations, which had promotive effects on the RNA polymerase I. Furthermore, isolated nuclei from parsley exhibited a powerful nucleoside triphosphatase (NTPase) activity. Contrary to RNA polymerase I, this enzyme was stimulated by NTP exceeding the 1:1 ratio of NTP and divalent cations. Free divalent cations had an inhibitory effect. Assuming that a causal connection of these two processes does exist, a possible role of this NTPase would be the control of NTP pools in relation to divalent cations and thus regulating RNA synthesis.     

Studies on the control of ribosomal RNA synthesis in HeLa cells.

In many eucaryotic systems protein synthesis is coupled to ribosomal RNA synthesis such that shut-down of the former causes inhibition of the latter. We have investigated this stringency phenomenon in HeLa cells. The protein synthesis inhibitors cycloheximide and puromycin cause inactivation of both processes but valine starvation totally inhibits only the processing of 45-S RNA. DNA-dependent RNA polymerases from A, B and C (or I, II and III respectively) were extracted, separated partially by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and their activity levels determined. These do not decrease significantly during inhibition of protein synthesis. To find out whether or not form A is bound to its template under these conditions, proteins were removed from chromatin with the detergent sarkosyl. This does not affect bound RNA polymerase. Inhibition of protein synthesis caused up to 50% reduction in endogenous alpha-amanitin-insensitive chromatin-RNA-synthesising activity. This reduced level of activity was not affected by sarkosyl treatment. Levels in normal cells were stimulated. This result indicates that the form A RNA polymerase is not bound to its template when protein synthesis is inhibited.     

Oligomeric structures of poliovirus polymerase are important for function

Central to the replication of poliovirus and other positive-strand RNA viruses is the virally encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Previous biochemical studies have suggested that direct polymerase- polymerase interactions might be important for polymerase function, and the structure of poliovirus polymerase has revealed two regions of extensive polymerase-polymerase interaction. To explore potential functional roles for the structurally observed polymerase-polymerase interactions, we have performed RNA binding and extension studies of mutant polymerase proteins in solution, disulfide cross-linking studies, mutational analyses in cells, in vitro activity analyses and RNA substrate modeling studies. The results of these studies indicate that both regions of polymerase-polymerase interaction observed in the crystals are indeed functionally important and, furthermore, reveal specific functional roles for each. One of the two regions of interaction provides for efficient substrate RNA binding and the second is crucial for forming catalytic sites. These studies strongly support the hypothesis that the polymerase- polymerase interactions discovered in the crystal structure provide an exquisitely detailed structural context for poliovirus polymerase function and for poliovirus RNA replication in cells.     

The GTP binding sites interacted with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of classical swine fever virus in de novo initiation

The NS5B protein of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is an important enzyme bearing a unique RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity. The RdRp plays a crucial role in the viral replication cycle and in forming a replicase complex. However, the initiating synthesis mechanism of the CSFV RNA polymerase is unclearly described at present. Our aim is to reveal the RdRp-GTP docking sites and the effective modules of GTP initially bound to the polymerase in starting initiation of replication according to a well predicted CSFV RdRp model. Based on some known crystal structures of RNA polymerase, computational methods were used to establish the model of a CSFV RdRp. An analogous mechanism of CSFV RNA polymerase in de novo initiation was subsequently represented through docking a GTP into the structure model. The unique GTP binding pocket of the polymerase was pointed out: five residues E227, S408, R427, K435, and R439 involved in steady hydrogen bonds and two residues C407 and L232 involved in hydrophobic contact with the GTP. From a genetic evolutionary point of view, three residues C407, S408 and R427 have been suggested to be of particular importance by analysis of residue conservation. It is suggested that these crucial residues should have very significant function in the de novo initiation of the rigorous CSFV polymerase model, which can lead us to design experiments for studying the mechanism of viral replication and develop valid anti-viral drugs.     

Genetic and biochemical evidence for an oligomeric structure of the functional L polymerase of the prototypic arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

The arenavirus L protein has the characteristic sequence motifs conserved among the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L proteins of negative-strand (NS) RNA viruses. Studies based on the use of reverse-genetics approaches have provided direct experimental evidence of the key role played by the arenavirus L protein in viral-RNA synthesis. Sequence alignment shows six conserved domains among L proteins of NS RNA viruses. The proposed polymerase module of L is located within its domain III, which contains highly conserved amino acids within motifs designated A and C. We have examined the role of these conserved residues in the polymerase activity of the L protein of the prototypic arenavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), in vivo using a minigenome rescue assay. We show here that the presence of sequence SDD, a characteristic of motif C of segmented NS RNA viruses, as well as the presence of the highly conserved D residue within motif A of L proteins, is strictly required for the polymerase activity of the LCMV L protein. The strong dominant negative phenotype associated with many of the mutants examined and results from coimmunoprecipitation studies provided genetic and biochemical evidence, respectively, for the requirement of the L-L interaction for the polymerase activity of the LCMV L protein.     

An RNA Element at the 5′-End of the Poliovirus Genome Functions as a General Promoter for RNA Synthesis

RNA structures present throughout RNA virus genomes serve as scaffolds to organize multiple factors involved in the initiation of RNA synthesis. Several of these RNA elements play multiple roles in the RNA replication pathway. An RNA structure formed around the 5′- end of the poliovirus genomic RNA has been implicated in the initiation of both negative- and positive-strand RNA synthesis. Dissecting the roles of these multifunctional elements is usually hindered by the interdependent nature of the viral replication processes and often pleiotropic effects of mutations. Here, we describe a novel approach to examine RNA elements with multiple roles. Our approach relies on the duplication of the RNA structure so that one copy is dedicated to the initiation of negative-strand RNA synthesis, while the other mediates positive-strand synthesis. This allows us to study the function of the element in promoting positive-strand RNA synthesis, independently of its function in negative-strand initiation. Using this approach, we demonstrate that the entire 5′-end RNA structure that forms on the positive-strand is required for initiation of new positive-strand RNAs. Also required to initiate positive-strand RNA synthesis are the binding sites for the viral polymerase precursor, 3CD, and the host factor, PCBP. Furthermore, we identify specific nucleotide sequences within “stem a” that are essential for the initiation of positive-strand RNA synthesis. These findings provide direct evidence for a trans-initiation model, in which binding of proteins to internal sequences of a pre-existing positive-strand RNA affects the synthesis of subsequent copies of that RNA, most likely by organizing replication factors around the initiation site.     

Synthesis and Intracellular Localization of Vaccinia Virus Deoxyribonucleic Acid-dependent Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase

The time course of vaccinia deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-dependent ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase synthesis and its intracellular localization were studied with virus-infected HeLa cells. Viral RNA polymerase activity could be meassured shortly after viral infection in the cytoplasmic fraction of infected cells in vitro. However, unless the cells were broken in the presence of the nonionic detergent Triton-X-100, no significant synthesis of new RNA polymerase was detected during the viral growth cycle. When cells were broken in the presence of this detergent, extensive increases in viral RNA polymerase activity were observed late in the infection cycle. The onset of new RNA polymerase synthesis was dependent on prior viral DNA replication. Fluorodeoxyuridine (5 x 10(-5)m) prevented the onset of viral polymerase synthesis. Streptovitacin A, a specific and complete inhibitor of protein synthesis in HeLa cells, prevented the synthesis of RNA polymerase. Thus, the synthesis of RNA polymerase is a "late" function of the virus. The newly synthesized RNA polymerase activity was primarily bound to particles which sedimented during high-speed centrifugation. These particles have been characterized by sucrose gradient centrifugation. A major class of active RNA polymerase particles were considerably "lighter" than whole virus in sucrose gradients. These particles were entirely resistant to the action of added pancreatic deoxyribonuclease, and they were not stimulated by added calf thymus primer DNA. It is concluded that these particles are not active in RNA synthesis in vivo, and that activation occurs as a result of detergent treatment in vitro.