Intrinsically-disordered N-termini in human parechovirus 1 capsid proteins bind encapsidated RNA

Abstract Human parechoviruses (HPeV) are picornaviruses with a highly-ordered RNA genome contained within icosahedrally-symmetric capsids. Ordered RNA structures have recently been shown to interact with capsid proteins VP1 and VP3 and facilitate virus assembly in HPeV1. Using an assay that combines...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shabih Shakeel, James D. Evans, Mark Hazelbaker, C. Cheng Kao, Robert C. Vaughan, Sarah J. Butcher
Format: article
Language:EN
Published: Nature Portfolio 2018
Subjects:
R
Q
Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/c61882b4e82648e0b67f4e7c833cfd5e
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Human parechoviruses (HPeV) are picornaviruses with a highly-ordered RNA genome contained within icosahedrally-symmetric capsids. Ordered RNA structures have recently been shown to interact with capsid proteins VP1 and VP3 and facilitate virus assembly in HPeV1. Using an assay that combines reversible cross-linking, RNA affinity purification and peptide mass fingerprinting (RCAP), we mapped the RNA-interacting regions of the capsid proteins from the whole HPeV1 virion in solution. The intrinsically-disordered N-termini of capsid proteins VP1 and VP3, and unexpectedly, VP0, were identified to interact with RNA. Comparing these results to those obtained using recombinantly-expressed VP0 and VP1 confirmed the virion binding regions, and revealed unique RNA binding regions in the isolated VP0 not previously observed in the crystal structure of HPeV1. We used RNA fluorescence anisotropy to confirm the RNA-binding competency of each of the capsid proteins’ N-termini. These findings suggests that dynamic interactions between the viral RNA and the capsid proteins modulate virus assembly, and suggest a novel role for VP0.