Uukuniemi virus S RNA segment: ambisense coding strategy, packaging of complementary strands into virions, and homology to members of the genus Phlebovirus.

We determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the small (S) RNA segment of Uukuniemi virus, the prototype of the Uukuvirus genus within the Bunyaviridae family. The RNA, which is 1,720 nucleotides long, contains two nonoverlapping open reading frames. The 5' end of one strand (complementary to the viral strand) encodes the nonstructural protein NSs (273 residues; molecular weight, 32,019), whereas the 5' end of the viral-sense strand encodes the nucleocapsid protein N (254 residues; molecular weight, 28,508). Thus, the S RNA uses an ambisense coding strategy previously described for the S segment of two phleboviruses and the arenaviruses. The localization of the N protein within the S RNA sequence was confirmed by amino-terminal sequence analysis of all five possible cyanogen bromide fragments obtained from purified N protein. Northern (RNA) blot analyses with strand-specific probes showed that the N and NSs proteins are translated from subgenomic mRNAs about 800 and 850 nucleotides long, respectively. These mRNAs are apparently transcribed from full-length S RNAs of opposite polarities. The two mRNA species were also detected in virus-infected cells. Interestingly, highly purified virions contained full-length S RNA copies of both polarities at a ratio of about 10:1. In contrast, virions contained exclusively negative-strand copies of the M RNA segment. The possible significance of these results for viral infection is discussed. The amino acid sequence of the N protein showed 35 and 32% homology (identity) with the N protein of Punta Toro and sandfly fever Sicilian viruses, two members of the Phlebovirus genus. The NSs proteins were much less related (about 15% identity). In addition, the extreme 5' and 3' ends of the S RNA, which are complementary to each other, also showed a high degree of conservation with the two phleboviruses. These results indicate that the uukuviruses and phleboviruses are evolutionarily related and suggest that the two genera could be merged into a single genus within the Bunyaviridae family.     

Rapid amplification of 5' complementary DNA ends (5' RACE)

This method is used to extend partial cDNA clones by amplifying the 5' sequences of the corresponding mRNAs 1-3. The technique requires knowledge of only a small region of sequence within the partial cDNA clone. During PCR, the thermostable DNA polymerase is directed to the appropriate target RNA by a single primer derived from the region of known sequence; the second primer required for PCR is complementary to a general feature of the target-in the case of 5' RACE, to a homopolymeric tail added (via terminal transferase) to the 3' termini of cDNAs transcribed from a preparation of mRNA. This synthetic tail provides a primer-binding site upstream of the unknown 5' sequence of the target mRNA. The products of the amplification reaction are cloned into a plasmid vector for sequencing and subsequent manipulation.     

Nuclear Relocalization of Polyadenylate Binding Protein during Rift Valley Fever Virus Infection Involves Expression of the NSs Gene

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), an ambisense member of the family Bunyaviridae, genus Phlebovirus, is the causative agent of Rift Valley fever, an important zoonotic infection in Africa and the Middle East. Phlebovirus proteins are translated from virally transcribed mRNAs that, like host mRNA, are capped but, unlike host mRNAs, are not polyadenylated. Here, we investigated the role of PABP1 during RVFV infection of HeLa cells. Immunofluorescence studies of infected cells demonstrated a gross relocalization of PABP1 to the nucleus late in infection. Immunofluorescence microscopy studies of nuclear proteins revealed costaining between PABP1 and markers of nuclear speckles. PABP1 relocalization was sharply decreased in cells infected with a strain of RVFV lacking the gene encoding the RVFV nonstructural protein S (NSs). To determine whether PABP1 was required for RVFV infection, we measured the production of nucleocapsid protein (N) in cells transfected with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting PABP1. We found that the overall percentage of RVFV N-positive cells was not changed by siRNA treatment, indicating that PABP1 was not required for RVFV infection. However, when we analyzed populations of cells producing high versus low levels of PABP1, we found that the percentage of RVFV N-positive cells was decreased in cell populations producing physiologic levels of PABP1 and increased in cells with reduced levels of PABP1. Together, these results suggest that production of the NSs protein during RVFV infection leads to sequestration of PABP1 in the nuclear speckles, creating a state within the cell that favors viral protein production.     

A 3' UTR sequence stabilizes termination codons in the unspliced RNA of Rous sarcoma virus

Eukaryotic cells target mRNAs to the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway when translation terminates within the coding region. In mammalian cells, this is presumably due to a downstream signal deposited during pre-mRNA splicing. In contrast, unspliced retroviral RNA undergoes NMD in chicken cells when premature termination codons (PTCs) are present in the gag gene. Surprisingly, deletion of a 401-nt 3' UTR sequence immediately downstream of the normal gag termination codon caused this termination event to be recognized as premature. We termed this 3' UTR region the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) stability element (RSE). The RSE also stabilized the viral RNA when placed immediately downstream of a PTC in the gag gene. Deletion analysis of the RSE indicated a smaller functional element. We conclude that this 3' UTR sequence stabilizes termination codons in the RSV RNA, and termination codons not associated with such an RSE sequence undergo NMD.     

Creation of a recombinant Rift Valley fever virus with a two-segmented genome

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV; family Bunyaviridae) is a clinically important, mosquito-borne pathogen of both livestock and humans, which is found mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. RVFV has a trisegmented single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) genome. The L and M segments are negative sense and encode the L protein (viral polymerase) on the L segment and the virion glycoproteins Gn and Gc as well as two other proteins, NSm and 78K, on the M segment. The S segment uses an ambisense coding strategy to express the nucleocapsid protein, N, and the nonstructural protein, NSs. Both the NSs and NSm proteins are dispensable for virus growth in tissue culture. Using reverse genetics, we generated a recombinant virus, designated r2segMP12, containing a two-segmented genome in which the NSs coding sequence was replaced with that for the Gn and Gc precursor. Thus, r2segMP12 lacks an M segment, and although it was attenuated in comparison to the three-segmented parental virus in both mammalian and insect cell cultures, it was genetically stable over multiple passages. We further show that the virus can stably maintain an M-like RNA segment encoding the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene. The implications of these findings for RVFV genome packaging and the potential to develop multivalent live-attenuated vaccines are discussed.     

Creation of a nonspreading Rift Valley fever virus

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic bunyavirus of the genus Phlebovirus and a serious human and veterinary pathogen. RVFV contains a three-segmented RNA genome, which is comprised of the large (L), medium (M), and small (S) segments. The proteins that are essential for genome replication are encoded by the L and S segments, whereas the structural glycoproteins are encoded by the M segment. We have produced BHK replicon cell lines (BHK-Rep) that maintain replicating L and S genome segments. Transfection of BHK-Rep cells with a plasmid encoding the structural glycoproteins results in the efficient production of RVFV replicon particles (RRPs). To facilitate monitoring of infection, the NSs gene was replaced with an enhanced green fluorescent protein gene. RRPs are infectious for both mammalian and insect cells but are incapable of autonomous spreading, rendering their application outside biosafety containment completely safe. We demonstrate that a single intramuscular vaccination with RRPs protects mice from a lethal dose of RVFV and show that RRPs can be used for rapid virus neutralization tests that do not require biocontainment facilities. The methods reported here will greatly facilitate vaccine and drug development as well as fundamental studies on RVFV biology. Moreover, it may be possible to develop similar systems for other members of the bunyavirus family as well.     

Long untranslated regions of the measles virus M and F genes control virus replication and cytopathogenicity

Measles is still a major cause of mortality mainly in developing countries. The causative agent, measles virus (MeV), is an enveloped virus having a nonsegmented negative-sense RNA genome, and belongs to the genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. One feature of the moribillivirus genomes is that the M and F genes have long untranslated regions (UTRs). The M and F mRNAs of MeV have 426-nucleotide-long 3' and 583-nucleotide-long 5' UTRs, respectively. Though these long UTRs occupy as much as approximately 6.4% of the virus genome, their function remains unknown. To elucidate the role of the long UTRs in the context of virus infection, we used the reverse genetics based on the virulent strain of MeV, and generated a series of recombinant viruses having alterations or deletions in the long UTRs. Our results showed that these long UTRs per se were not essential for MeV replication, but that they regulated MeV replication and cytopathogenicity by modulating the productions of the M and F proteins. The long 3' UTR of the M mRNA was shown to have the ability to increase the M protein production, promoting virus replication. On the other hand, the long 5' UTR of the F mRNA was found to possess the capacity to decrease the F protein production, inhibiting virus replication and yet greatly reducing cytopathogenicity. We speculate that the reduction in cytopathogenicity may be advantageous for MeV fitness and survival in nature.