Enzymatic characterization and dominant sites of foot-and-mouth disease virus 2C protein.

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) 2C protein is a conserved non-structural protein and crucial for replication of the virus. In this study, FMDV 2C protein was prepared and the enzymatic activities were investigated in detail. The protein could digest ssDNA or ssRNA into a small fragment at about 10 nt, indicating that the protein has nuclease activity. But it did not show digestion to blunt-end dsDNA or dsRNA. The nuclease activity of 2C protein could be inhibited in 2 mM Zn2+ or Ca2+ while enhanced by Mg2+ or Mn2+. FMDV 2C protein exhibited unwinding activity to all the three kinds of dsDNA and dsRNA (5' protruded, 3' protruded, and blunt-end). The unwinding velocity to 5' protruded dsRNA was higher than to the blunt-end dsRNA. 2C protein only showed unwinding activity in high concentration of Mg2+, but no unwinding activity in physiological concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+, as well as in cell lysate. The 2C protein could catalyze two structured ssRNA to form double strand, thus it was proved to have RNA chaperone activity. The Mg2+ and ATP in different concentrations did not show promotion to the RNA chaperone activity. Finally, six mutant proteins (K116A, D160A, D170A, N207A, R226A, and F316A) were constructed and the enzymatic activities were analyzed. All the six mutations reduced the ATPase activity, D170A and F361A could inactivate the nuclease activity, while the N207A and F316A could inactivate the helicase activity. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the enzymatic activities of FMDV 2C protein.

Crystal structure of the ATPase domain of porcine circovirus type 2 Rep protein.

PCV2 belongs to the genus Circovirus in the family Circoviridae, whose genome is replicated by rolling circle replication (RCR). PCV2 Rep is a multifunctional enzyme that performs essential functions at multiple stages of viral replication. Rep is responsible for nicking and ligating single-stranded DNA and unwinding double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). However, the structure and function of the Rep are still poorly understood, which significantly impedes viral replication research. This study successfully resolved the structure of the PCV2 Rep ATPase domain (PRAD) using X-ray crystallography. Homologous structure search revealed that Rep belonged to the superfamily 3 (SF3) helicase, and multiple conserved residues were identified during sequence alignment with SF3 family members. Simultaneously, a hexameric PRAD model was generated for analysing characteristic structures and sites. Mutation of the conserved site and measurement of its activity showed that the hallmark motifs of the SF3 family influenced helicase activity by affecting ATPase activity and ß-hairpin just caused the loss of helicase activity. The structural and functional analyses of the PRAD provide valuable insights for future research on PCV2 replication and antiviral strategies.

Crystal structure of the dimerized of porcine circovirus type II replication-related protein Rep'.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) can cause porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVAD), which causes significant economic losses to the global pig industry annually. There are no effective antiviral drugs used to control and treat PCV2, and prevention is mainly obtained through vaccination. PCV2 genome replicates through the rolling circle replication (RCR) mechanism involving Rep and Rep', so analyzing the holistic structure of Rep and Rep' will help us better understand the replication process of PCV2. However, there are no reports on the integral structure of Rep' and Rep, which seriously hinders the research of the viral replication. By using the x-ray diffraction method, the structure of the Rep' dimer was resolved by us in this study. Structural analysis revealed that Rep' is a dimer formed by the interaction of the C-terminal domain. The two Rep' form a positively charged groove, which may play an essential role in the viral binding of dsDNA. Together, this study help to understand the replication process of the virus and may also provide new insights into the development of antiviral drugs.