The RNA helicase, nucleotide 5'-triphosphatase, and RNA 5'-triphosphatase activities of Dengue virus protein NS3 are Mg2+-dependent and require a functional Walker B motif in the helicase catalytic core

Virology. 2004 Oct 25;328(2):208-18. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2004.07.004.

Abstract

The nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) of Dengue virus (DV) is a multifunctional enzyme carrying activities involved in viral RNA replication and capping: helicase, nucleoside 5'-triphosphatase (NTPase), and RNA 5'-triphosphatase (RTPase). Here, a 54-kDa C-terminal domain of NS3 (DeltaNS3) bearing all three activities was expressed as a recombinant protein. Structure-based sequence analysis in comparison with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) helicase indicates the presence of a HCV-helicase-like catalytic core domain in the N-terminal part of DeltaNS3, whereas the C-terminal part seems to be different. In this report, we show that the RTPase activity of DeltaNS3 is Mg2+-dependent as are both helicase and NTPase activities. Mutational analysis shows that the RTPase activity requires an intact NTPase/helicase Walker B motif in the helicase core, consistent with the fact that such motifs are involved in the coordination of Mg2+. The R513A substitution in the C-terminal domain of DeltaNS3 abrogates helicase activity and strongly diminishes RTPase activity, indicating that both activities are functionally coupled. DV RTPase seems to belong to a new class of Mg2+-dependent RTPases, which use the active center of the helicase/NTPase catalytic core in conjunction with elements in the C-terminal domain.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acid Anhydride Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Dengue Virus / enzymology*
  • Magnesium / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Nucleoside-Triphosphatase / metabolism*
  • RNA Helicases / chemistry
  • RNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / metabolism*
  • Virus Replication*

Substances

  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins
  • Acid Anhydride Hydrolases
  • RNA triphosphatase
  • Nucleoside-Triphosphatase
  • RNA Helicases
  • Magnesium