Structures of Qß virions, virus-like particles, and the Qß-MurA complex reveal internal coat proteins and the mechanism of host lysis.

In single-stranded RNA bacteriophages (ssRNA phages) a single copy of the maturation protein binds the genomic RNA (gRNA) and is required for attachment of the phage to the host pilus. For the canonical Allolevivirus Qß the maturation protein, A2, has an additional role as the lysis protein, by its ability to bind and inhibit MurA, which is involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Here, we determined structures of Qß virions, virus-like particles, and the Qß-MurA complex using single-particle cryoelectron microscopy, at 4.7-Å, 3.3-Å, and 6.1-Å resolutions, respectively. We identified the outer surface of the ß-region in A2 as the MurA-binding interface. Moreover, the pattern of MurA mutations that block Qß lysis and the conformational changes of MurA that facilitate A2 binding were found to be due to the intimate fit between A2 and the region encompassing the closed catalytic cleft of substrate-liganded MurA. Additionally, by comparing the Qß virion with Qß virus-like particles that lack a maturation protein, we observed a structural rearrangement in the capsid coat proteins that is required to package the viral gRNA in its dominant conformation. Unexpectedly, we found a coat protein dimer sequestered in the interior of the virion. This coat protein dimer binds to the gRNA and interacts with the buried α-region of A2, suggesting that it is sequestered during the early stage of capsid formation to promote the gRNA condensation required for genome packaging. These internalized coat proteins are the most asymmetrically arranged major capsid proteins yet observed in virus structures.

Asymmetric cryo-EM structure of the canonical Allolevivirus Qß reveals a single maturation protein and the genomic ssRNA in situ.

Single-stranded (ss) RNA viruses infect all domains of life. To date, for most ssRNA virions, only the structures of the capsids and their associated protein components have been resolved to high resolution. Qß, an ssRNA phage specific for the conjugative F-pilus, has a T = 3 icosahedral lattice of coat proteins assembled around its 4,217 nucleotides of genomic RNA (gRNA). In the mature virion, the maturation protein, A2, binds to the gRNA and is required for adsorption to the F-pilus. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of Qß with and without symmetry applied. The icosahedral structure, at 3.7-Å resolution, resolves loops not previously seen in the published X-ray structure, whereas the asymmetric structure, at 7-Å resolution, reveals A2 and the gRNA. A2 contains a bundle of α-helices and replaces one dimer of coat proteins at a twofold axis. The helix bundle binds gRNA, causing denser packing of RNA in its proximity, which asymmetrically expands the surrounding coat protein shell to potentially facilitate RNA release during infection. We observe a fixed pattern of gRNA organization among all viral particles, with the major and minor grooves of RNA helices clearly visible. A single layer of RNA directly contacts every copy of the coat protein, with one-third of the interactions occurring at operator-like RNA hairpins. These RNA-coat interactions stabilize the tertiary structure of gRNA within the virion, which could further provide a roadmap for capsid assembly.

In vitro evolution and affinity-maturation with Coliphage qß display.

The Escherichia coli bacteriophage, Qß (Coliphage Qß), offers a favorable alternative to M13 for in vitro evolution of displayed peptides and proteins due to high mutagenesis rates in Qß RNA replication that better simulate the affinity maturation processes of the immune response. We describe a benchtop in vitro evolution system using Qß display of the VP1 G-H loop peptide of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV). DNA encoding the G-H loop was fused to the A1 minor coat protein of Qß resulting in a replication-competent hybrid phage that efficiently displayed the FMDV peptide. The surface-localized FMDV VP1 G-H loop cross-reacted with the anti-FMDV monoclonal antibody (mAb) SD6 and was found to decorate the corners of the Qß icosahedral shell by electron microscopy. Evolution of Qß-displayed peptides, starting from fully degenerate coding sequences corresponding to the immunodominant region of VP1, allowed rapid in vitro affinity maturation to SD6 mAb. Qß selected under evolutionary pressure revealed a non-canonical, but essential epitope for mAb SD6 recognition consisting of an Arg-Gly tandem pair. Finally, the selected hybrid phages induced polyclonal antibodies in guinea pigs with good affinity to both FMDV and hybrid Qß-G-H loop, validating the requirement of the tandem pair epitope. Qß-display emerges as a novel framework for rapid in vitro evolution with affinity-maturation to molecular targets.

Engineered virus-like nanoparticle heparin antagonists.

Virus nanoparticles provide a self-assembling, reproducible multivalent platform that can be chemically and genetically manipulated for the presentation of a wide array of epitopes. Presented herein are engineered bacteriophage Qß nanoparticles that function as potent heparin antagonists. Three successful approaches have been used: 1) chemically appending poly-Arg peptides; 2) point mutations to Arg on the virus capsid; 3) incorporation of heparin-binding peptides displayed externally on the virus surface. Each approach generates particles with good heparin antagonist activity with none of the toxic side effects of protamine, the only drug currently FDA-approved for clinical use as a heparin antagonist.

Assembly of hybrid bacteriophage Qbeta virus-like particles.

Bacteriophage Qbeta coat protein forms uniform virus-like particles when expressed recombinantly in a variety of organisms. We have inserted the IgG-binding Z domain at the carboxy terminus of the coat protein and coexpressed this chimeric subunit with native coat protein to create hybrid, IgG-binding virus-like particles. Extracellular osmolytes were found to have an effect on the efficiency of incorporation of fusion proteins into VLPs in Escherichia coli when a carbenicillin, but not a kanamycin, selection marker was used. The addition of sucrose to the growth medium decreased the incorporation efficiency; the osmoprotectant glycine betaine eliminated this effect. The decrease in efficiency was not observed when carbenicillin was omitted from the final expression culture. The addition of sodium chloride instead of sucrose gave rise to particles with a larger number of fusion proteins than the standard conditions. These results illustrate that cellular conditions should be taken into account even in apparently simple systems when natural or engineered protein nanoparticles are made.

Mutilation of RNA phage Qbeta virus-like particles: from icosahedrons to rods.

Icosahedral virus-like particles (VLPs) of RNA phage Qbeta are stabilized by four disulfide bonds of cysteine residues 74 and 80 within the loop between beta-strands F and G (FG loop) of the monomeric subunits, which determine the five-fold and quasi-six-fold symmetry contacts of the VLPs. In order to reduce the stability of Qbeta VLPs, we mutationally converted the amino acid stretch 76-ANGSCD-81 within the FG loop into the 76-VGGVEL-81 sequence. It led to production in Escherichia coli cells of aberrant rod-like Qbeta VLPs, along with normal icosahedral capsids. The length of the rod-like particles exceeded 4-30 times the diameter of icosahedral Qbeta VLPs.

Mosaic Qbeta coats as a new presentation model.

The new protein carrier was developed on the basis of recombinant RNA phage Qbeta capsid. C-terminal UGA extension of the short form of Qbeta coat, so-called A1 extension, served as a target for presentation of foreign peptides on the outer surface of mosaic Qbeta particles. In conditions of enhanced UGA suppression, the proportion of A1-extended to short coats in mosaic particles dropped from 48% to 14%, with an increase of the length of A1 extension. A model insertion, short preS1 epitope 31-DPAFR-35 of hepatitis B surface antigen, demonstrated superficial location on the mosaic Qbeta particles and ensured specific antigenicity and immunogenicity.

Structural plasticity in RNA and its role in the regulation of protein translation in coliphage Q beta.

We have analyzed both conformational and functional changes caused by two large cis-acting deletions (delta 159 and delta 549) located within the read-through domain, a 850 nucleotide hairpin, in coliphage Q beta genomic RNA. Studies in vivo show that co-translational regulation of the viral coat and replicase genes has been uncoupled in viral genomes carrying deletion delta 159. Translational regulation is restored in deletion delta 549, a naturally evolved pseudorevertant. Structural analysis by computer modeling shows that structural features within the read-through domain of delta 159 RNA are less well determined than they are in the read-through domain of wild-type RNA, whereas predicted structure in the read-through domain of evolved pseudorevertant delta 549 is unusually well determined. Structural analysis by electron microscopy of the genomic RNAs shows that several long range helices at the base of the read-through domain, that suppress translational initiation of the viral replicase gene in the wild-type genome, have been destabilized in delta 159 RNA. In addition, the structure of local hairpins within the read-through region is more variable in delta 159 RNA than in wild-type RNA. Stable RNA secondary structure is restored in the read-through domain of delta 549 RNA. Our analyses suggest that structure throughout the read-through domain affects the regulation of viral replicase expression by altering the likelihood that long-range interactions at the base of the domain will form. We discuss possible kinetic and equilibrium models that can explain this effect, and argue that observed changes in structural plasticity within the read-through domain of the mutant genomes are key in understanding the process. During the course of these studies, we became aware of the importance of the information contained in the energy dot plot produced by the RNA secondary structure prediction program mfold. As a result, we have improved the graphical representation of this information through the use of color annotation in the predicted optimal folding. The method is presented here for the first time.