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Pol of gag–pol fusion protein required for encapsidation of viral RNA of yeast L-A virus

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Abstract

DOUBLE-STRANDED RNA viruses have an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity associated with the viral particles which is indispensable for their replication cycle. Using the yeast L-A double-stranded RNA virus we have investigated the mechanism by which the virus encapsidates its genomic RNA and RNA polymerase. The L-A gag gene encodes the principal viral coat protein and the overlapping pol gene is expressed as a gag–pol fusion protein which is formed by a −1 ribosomal frameshift1–3. Here we show that Gag alone is sufficient for virus particle formation, but that it fails to package the viral single-stranded RNA genome. Encapsidation of the viral RNA requires only a part of the Pol region (the N-terminal quarter), which is presumably distinct from the RNA polymerase domain. Given that the Pol region has single-stranded RNA-binding activity, these results are consistent with our L-A virus encapsidation model1: the Pol region of the fusion protein binds specifically to the viral genome (+) strand, and the N-terminal gag-encoded region primes polymerization of Gag to form the capsid, thus ensuring the packaging of both the viral genome and the RNA polymerase.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Microbiologia Bioquimica/Departamento de Microbiologia y Genética, CSIC/Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 37071, Spain

    Tsutomu Fujimura

  2. Section on Genetics of Simple Eukaryotes, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA

    Tsutomu Fujimura, Juan C. Ribas & Reed B. Wickner

  3. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA

    Alexandr M. Makhov

Authors
  1. Tsutomu Fujimura
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  2. Juan C. Ribas
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  3. Alexandr M. Makhov
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  4. Reed B. Wickner
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Fujimura, T., Ribas, J., Makhov, A. et al. Pol of gag–pol fusion protein required for encapsidation of viral RNA of yeast L-A virus. Nature 359, 746–749 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/359746a0

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