RNA Structures and Their Role in Selective Genome Packaging

Liqing Ye; Uddhav B Ambi; Marco Olguin-Nava; Anne-Sophie Gribling-Burrer; Shazeb Ahmad; Patrick Bohn; Melanie M Weber; Redmond P Smyth

doi:10.3390/v13091788

RNA Structures and Their Role in Selective Genome Packaging

Viruses. 2021 Sep 8;13(9):1788. doi: 10.3390/v13091788.

Authors

Liqing Ye¹, Uddhav B Ambi¹, Marco Olguin-Nava¹, Anne-Sophie Gribling-Burrer¹, Shazeb Ahmad¹, Patrick Bohn¹, Melanie M Weber¹, Redmond P Smyth^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Genome Architecture and Evolution of RNA Viruses, Helmholtz Institute for RNA-Based Infection Research, Helmholtz-Center for Infection Research, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
² Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.

Abstract

To generate infectious viral particles, viruses must specifically select their genomic RNA from milieu that contains a complex mixture of cellular or non-genomic viral RNAs. In this review, we focus on the role of viral encoded RNA structures in genome packaging. We first discuss how packaging signals are constructed from local and long-range base pairings within viral genomes, as well as inter-molecular interactions between viral and host RNAs. Then, how genome packaging is regulated by the biophysical properties of RNA. Finally, we examine the impact of RNA packaging signals on viral evolution.

Keywords: RNA; RNA structure; RNA virus; evolution; genome packaging; viral assembly.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Evolution, Molecular
Genome, Viral*
Humans
Nucleic Acid Conformation
RNA Viruses / genetics*
RNA Viruses / metabolism
RNA, Viral / chemistry*
RNA, Viral / genetics*
RNA, Viral / metabolism
Virus Assembly / genetics*

Substances

RNA, Viral