A Structural Overview of RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases from the Flaviviridae Family
- PMID:26062131
- PMCID: PMC4490480
- DOI: 10.3390/ijms160612943
A Structural Overview of RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases from the Flaviviridae Family
Abstract
RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) from the Flaviviridae family are representatives of viral polymerases that carry out RNA synthesis through a de novo initiation mechanism. They share a ≈ 600-residue polymerase core that displays a canonical viral RdRP architecture resembling an encircled right hand with palm, fingers, and thumb domains surrounding the active site. Polymerase catalytic motifs A-E in the palm and motifs F/G in the fingers are shared by all viral RdRPs with sequence and/or structural conservations regardless of the mechanism of initiation. Different from RdRPs carrying out primer-dependent initiation, Flaviviridae and other de novo RdRPs utilize a priming element often integrated in the thumb domain to facilitate primer-independent initiation. Upon the transition to the elongation phase, this priming element needs to undergo currently unresolved conformational rearrangements to accommodate the growth of the template-product RNA duplex. In the genera of Flavivirus and Pestivirus, the polymerase module in the C-terminal part of the RdRP protein may be regulated in cis by the N-terminal region of the same polypeptide. Either being a methyltransferase in Flavivirus or a functionally unclarified module in Pestivirus, this region could play auxiliary roles for the canonical folding and/or the catalysis of the polymerase, through defined intra-molecular interactions.
Keywords: Flaviviridae; RNA-dependent RNA polymerase; catalytic motif; de novo initiation; elongation; in cis regulation.
Figures




Similar articles
- RNA-dependent RNA polymerases from Flaviviridae.Choi KH, Rossmann MG.Choi KH, et al.Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2009 Dec;19(6):746-51. doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2009.10.015. Epub 2009 Nov 14.Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2009.PMID:19914821Review.
- Comparative mechanistic studies of de novo RNA synthesis by flavivirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerases.Selisko B, Dutartre H, Guillemot JC, Debarnot C, Benarroch D, Khromykh A, Desprès P, Egloff MP, Canard B.Selisko B, et al.Virology. 2006 Jul 20;351(1):145-58. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2006.03.026. Epub 2006 Apr 21.Virology. 2006.PMID:16631221
- A structural view of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerases from the Flavivirus genus.Lu G, Gong P.Lu G, et al.Virus Res. 2017 Apr 15;234:34-43. doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.01.020. Epub 2017 Jan 25.Virus Res. 2017.PMID:28131854Review.
- An induced-fit de novo initiation mechanism suggested by a pestivirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.Zhang BY, Liu W, Jia H, Lu G, Gong P.Zhang BY, et al.Nucleic Acids Res. 2021 Sep 7;49(15):8811-8821. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkab666.Nucleic Acids Res. 2021.PMID:34365500Free PMC article.
- The palm subdomain-based active site is internally permuted in viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of an ancient lineage.Gorbalenya AE, Pringle FM, Zeddam JL, Luke BT, Cameron CE, Kalmakoff J, Hanzlik TN, Gordon KH, Ward VK.Gorbalenya AE, et al.J Mol Biol. 2002 Nov 15;324(1):47-62. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(02)01033-1.J Mol Biol. 2002.PMID:12421558Free PMC article.
Cited by
- The structural model of Zika virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in complex with RNA for rational design of novel nucleotide inhibitors.Šebera J, Dubankova A, Sychrovský V, Ruzek D, Boura E, Nencka R.Šebera J, et al.Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 24;8(1):11132. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29459-7.Sci Rep. 2018.PMID:30042483Free PMC article.
- A conformation-based intra-molecular initiation factor identified in the flavivirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.Wu J, Ye HQ, Zhang QY, Lu G, Zhang B, Gong P.Wu J, et al.PLoS Pathog. 2020 May 1;16(5):e1008484. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008484. eCollection 2020 May.PLoS Pathog. 2020.PMID:32357182Free PMC article.
- RNA Dependent RNA Polymerases: Insights from Structure, Function and Evolution.Venkataraman S, Prasad BVLS, Selvarajan R.Venkataraman S, et al.Viruses. 2018 Feb 10;10(2):76. doi: 10.3390/v10020076.Viruses. 2018.PMID:29439438Free PMC article.Review.
- Remdesivir MD Simulations Suggest a More Favourable Binding to SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase Mutant P323L Than Wild-Type.Mohammad A, Al-Mulla F, Wei DQ, Abubaker J.Mohammad A, et al.Biomolecules. 2021 Jun 22;11(7):919. doi: 10.3390/biom11070919.Biomolecules. 2021.PMID:34206274Free PMC article.
- Structural Analysis of Monomeric RNA-Dependent Polymerases: Evolutionary and Therapeutic Implications.Jácome R, Becerra A, Ponce de León S, Lazcano A.Jácome R, et al.PLoS One. 2015 Sep 23;10(9):e0139001. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139001. eCollection 2015.PLoS One. 2015.PMID:26397100Free PMC article.
References
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Research Materials