Overlapping signals for translational regulation and packaging of influenza A virus segment 2.

Influenza A virus segment 2 mRNA expresses three polypeptides: PB1, PB1-F2 and PB1-N40, from AUGs 1, 4 and 5 respectively. Two short open reading frames (sORFs) initiated by AUGs 2 and 3 are also present. To understand translational regulation in this system, we systematically mutated AUGs 1-4 and monitored polypeptide synthesis from plasmids and recombinant viruses. This identified sORF2 as a key regulatory element with opposing effects on PB1-F2 and PB1-N40 expression. We propose a model in which AUGs 1-4 are accessed by leaky ribosomal scanning, with sORF2 repressing synthesis of downstream PB1-F2. However, sORF2 also up-regulates PB1-N40 expression, most likely by a reinitiation mechanism that permits skipping of AUG4. Surprisingly, we also found that in contrast to plasmid-driven expression, viruses with improved AUG1 initiation contexts produced less PB1 in infected cells and replicated poorly, producing virions with elevated particle:PFU ratios. Analysis of the genome content of virus particles showed reduced packaging of the mutant segment 2 vRNAs. Overall, we conclude that segment 2 mRNA translation is regulated by a combination of leaky ribosomal scanning and reinitiation, and that the sequences surrounding the PB1 AUG codon are multifunctional, containing overlapping signals for translation initiation and for segment-specific packaging.

Codon conservation in the influenza A virus genome defines RNA packaging signals.

Genome segmentation facilitates reassortment and rapid evolution of influenza A virus. However, segmentation complicates particle assembly as virions must contain all eight vRNA species to be infectious. Specific packaging signals exist that extend into the coding regions of most if not all segments, but these RNA motifs are poorly defined. We measured codon variability in a large dataset of sequences to identify areas of low nucleotide sequence variation independent of amino acid conservation in each segment. Most clusters of codons showing very little synonymous variation were located at segment termini, consistent with previous experimental data mapping packaging signals. Certain internal regions of conservation, most notably in the PA gene, may however signify previously unidentified functions in the virus genome. To experimentally test the bioinformatics analysis, we introduced synonymous mutations into conserved codons within known packaging signals and measured incorporation of the mutant segment into virus particles. Surprisingly, in most cases, single nucleotide changes dramatically reduced segment packaging. Thus our analysis identifies cis-acting sequences in the influenza virus genome at the nucleotide level. Furthermore, we propose that strain-specific differences exist in certain packaging signals, most notably the haemagglutinin gene; this finding has major implications for the evolution of pandemic viruses.

Temperature sensitive influenza A virus genome replication results from low thermal stability of polymerase-cRNA complexes.

BACKGROUND: The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of Influenza A virus is a determinant of viral pathogenicity and host range that is responsible for transcribing and replicating the negative sense segmented viral genome (vRNA). Transcription produces capped and polyadenylated mRNAs whereas genome replication involves the synthesis of an alternative plus-sense transcript (cRNA) with unmodified termini that is copied back to vRNA. Viral mRNA transcription predominates at early stages of viral infection, while later, negative sense genome replication is favoured. However, the "switch" that regulates the transition from transcription to replication is poorly understood. RESULTS: We show that temperature strongly affects the balance between plus and minus-sense RNA synthesis with high temperature causing a large decrease in vRNA accumulation, a moderate decrease in cRNA levels but (depending on genome segment) either increased or unchanged levels of mRNA. We found no evidence implicating cellular heat shock protein activity in this effect despite the known association of hsp70 and hsp90 with viral polymerase components. Temperature-shift experiments indicated that polymerase synthesised at 41 degrees C maintained transcriptional activity even though genome replication failed. Reduced polymerase association with viral RNA was seen in vivo and in confirmation of this, in vitro binding assays showed that temperature increased the rate of dissociation of polymerase from both positive and negative sense promoters. However, the interaction of polymerase with the cRNA promoter was particularly heat labile, showing rapid dissociation even at 37 degrees C. This suggested that vRNA synthesis fails at elevated temperatures because the polymerase does not bind the promoter. In support of this hypothesis, a mutant cRNA promoter with vRNA-like sequence elements supported vRNA synthesis at higher temperatures than the wild-type promoter. CONCLUSION: The differential stability of negative and positive sense polymerase-promoter complexes explains why high temperature favours transcription over replication and has implications for the control of viral RNA synthesis at physiological temperatures. Furthermore, given the different body temperatures of birds and man, these finding suggest molecular hypotheses for how polymerase function may affect host range.

Astrovirus acute gastroenteritis among children in Madrid, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Human astroviruses cause infantile gastroenteritis worldwide, but the prevalence of disease varies greatly by setting. Since 1997 we have conducted a survey to determine the causes of diarrhea among Spanish children attending an emergency room in Madrid and to characterize the clinical features of viral-associated gastroenteritis. OBJECTIVES: To define the epidemiologic role of astrovirus-associated gastroenteritis in Spanish children, to review its clinical features and to compare these illnesses with those caused by rotavirus. To assess the sensitivity of two methods of detection [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA) and reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR]. METHODS: Fecal specimens from 822 children with acute diarrhea treated at an emergency room were screened by EIA assays. Random astrovirus-positive samples were characterized by RT-PCR and nucleotide sequencing for their phylogenetic grouping. RESULTS: Astrovirus was detected in 44 (5.3%) of 822 specimens tested by EIA. No pathogens were detected in fecal specimens from 238 (29%) children; however, in 137 of those with adequate remaining specimens, we found an additional 50 (6.1%) that were positive by RT-PCR. HAstV-1 was the most prevalent type followed by HAstV-2. The gastroenteritis associated with astrovirus alone was slightly less severe and had a lower score or risk of hospitalization than that associated with rotavirus (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Astrovirus was found in 11.4% of all children whom we tested for enteric viral and bacterial pathogens, making it the second most common cause of acute gastroenteritis among Spanish children. True prevalence of astrovirus could be underestimated if only EIAs were used for detection.

Nuclear export of influenza A virus mRNAs requires ongoing RNA polymerase II activity.

Influenza A virus transcribes its segmented negative sense RNA genome in the nuclei of infected cells in a process long known to require host RNA polymerase II (RNAP-II). RNA polymerase II synthesizes pre-mRNAs whose 5'-cap structures are scavenged by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase during synthesis of viral mRNAs. Drugs that inhibit RNAP-II therefore block viral replication, but not necessarily solely by denying the viral polymerase a source of cap-donor molecules. We show here that 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-benzimidazole (DRB), a compound that prevents processive transcription by RNAP-II, inhibits expression of the viral HA, M1 and NS1 genes at the post-transcriptional level. Abundant quantities of functionally and structurally intact viral mRNAs are made in the presence of DRB but with the exception of NP and NS2 mRNAs, are not efficiently translated. Taking M1 and NP mRNAs as representatives of DRB-sensitive and insensitive mRNAs, respectively, we found that the block to translation operates at the level of nuclear export. Furthermore, removal of DRB reversed this block unless a variety of chemically and mechanistically distinct RNAP-II inhibitors were added instead. We conclude that influenza A virus replication requires RNAP-II activity not just to provide capped mRNA substrates but also to facilitate nuclear export of selected viral mRNAs.

Vaccinia virus recombinant expressing an 87-kilodalton polyprotein that is sufficient to form astrovirus-like particles.

Human astrovirus is an important cause of acute gastroenteritis. We have generated, for the first time, a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing the astrovirus 87-kDa structural polyprotein. The results demonstrate that this expression results in the formation of virus-like particles in the absence of other astrovirus proteins and genomic RNA. The purified trypsin-activated virus-like particles strongly resemble the complete astrovirus particles.

Increased amounts of the influenza virus nucleoprotein do not promote higher levels of viral genome replication.

Influenza virus genome replication requires the virus-encoded nucleoprotein (NP), partly because it is necessary to encapsidate the viral genomic RNA (vRNA) and antigenomic cRNA segments into ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). However, there is also evidence that NP actively regulates viral RNA synthesis and there is a long-standing hypothesis that increased concentrations of NP in the cell are responsible for a switch from genome transcription to replication. Here, this hypothesis is tested in a recombinant setting and in the context of virus infection. In a plasmid-based system for reconstituting active viral RNPs in cells, titration of increasing amounts of NP did not promote higher levels of genome replication relative to transcription, but in fact caused the opposite effect. An approximately fourfold reduction in the ratio of genomic and antigenomic RNAs to mRNA was seen across an 80-fold range of NP plasmid concentrations. When cells were transfected with the same amounts of NP plasmid to establish a concentration gradient of NP prior to virus superinfection, no change in the ratio of cRNA to mRNA was seen for segments 5 and 7, or for the ratio of segment 5 vRNA to mRNA. A slight reduction in the ratio of segment 7 vRNA to mRNA was seen. These findings do not support the simple hypothesis that increased intracellular concentrations of NP promote influenza virus genome replication.