Conserved Sequences in the 5' and 3' Untranslated Regions of Jingmenvirus Group Representatives

Viruses. 2023 Apr 15;15(4):971. doi: 10.3390/v15040971.

Abstract

The Jingmenvirus group (JVG), with members such as Jingmen tick virus (JMTV), Alongshan virus (ALSV), Yanggou tick virus (YGTV), and Takachi virus (TAKV), is drawing attention due to evidence of it causing disease in humans and its unique genome architecture. In the current work, complete untranslated regions (UTRs) of four strains of ALSV and eight strains of YGTV were obtained. An analysis of these sequences, as well as JVG sequences from GenBank, uncovered several regions within viral UTRs that were highly conserved for all the segments and viruses. Bioinformatics predictions suggested that the UTRs of all the segments of YGTV, ALSV, and JMTV could form similar RNA structures. The most notable feature of these structures was a stable stem-loop with one (5' UTR) or two (3' UTR) AAGU tetraloops on the end of a hairpin.

Keywords: 3′ UTR; 5′ UTR; Alongshan virus; Jingmenvirus group; RNA structure; Yanggou tick virus; flavi-like virus; segmented virus; tetraloop; untranslated region.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • 5' Untranslated Regions
  • Animals
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Flaviviridae* / genetics
  • Humans
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Ticks*

Substances

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • 5' Untranslated Regions
  • RNA, Viral

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Russian Science Foundation, Grant no. 21-74-00083.