Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were recently described as a novel class of cellular RNAs. Two circRNAs were reported to function as molecular sponges, sequestering specific microRNAs, thereby de-repressing ...target mRNAs. Due to their elevated stability in comparison to linear RNA, circRNAs may be an interesting tool in molecular medicine and biology. In this study, we provide a proof-of-principle that circRNAs can be engineered as microRNA sponges. As a model system, we used the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), which requires cellular microRNA-122 for its life cycle. We produced artificial circRNA sponges in vitro that efficiently sequester microRNA-122, thereby inhibiting viral protein production in an HCV cell culture system. These circRNAs are more stable than their linear counterparts, and localize both to the cytoplasm and to the nucleus, opening up a wide range of potential applications.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Multiple host factors are known to play important roles in hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication, in immune responses induced by HCV infection, or in processes that facilitate virus escape from immune ...clearance, while yet only few studies examined the contribution of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs/lncRs). Using microarrays, we identified lncRNAs with altered expression levels in HCV replicating Huh-7.5 hepatoma cells. Of these, lncR 8(
/
) was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to be upregulated early after HCV infection. After suppressing the expression of lncR 8, HCV RNA and protein were downregulated, confirming a positive correlation between lncR 8 expression and HCV replication. lncR 8 knockdown in Huh-7.5 cells reduced expression of the neighboring gene G protein-coupled receptor 55 (
) mRNA level at early times, and leads to increased levels of several Interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) including
,
and
. Importantly, the effect of lncR 8 on ISGs and
precedes its effect on HCV replication. Furthermore, knockdown of
mRNA induces ISG expression, providing a possible link between lncR 8 and ISGs. We conclude that HCV induces lncR 8 expression, while lncR 8 indirectly favors HCV replication by stimulating expression of its neighboring gene
, which in turn downregulates expression of ISGs. The latter fact is also consistent with an anti-inflammatory role of
. These events may contribute to the failure to eliminate ongoing HCV infection.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) preferentially replicates in the human liver and frequently causes chronic infection, often leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer. HCV is an enveloped virus classified in the ...genus
in the family
and has a single-stranded RNA genome of positive orientation. The HCV RNA genome is translated and replicated in the cytoplasm. Translation is controlled by the Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR), while also downstream elements like the
-replication element (CRE) in the coding region and the 3' UTR are involved in translation regulation. The
-elements controlling replication of the viral RNA genome are located mainly in the 5'- and 3'-UTRs at the genome ends but also in the protein coding region, and in part these signals overlap with the signals controlling RNA translation. Many long-range RNA-RNA interactions (LRIs) are predicted between different regions of the HCV RNA genome, and several such LRIs are actually involved in HCV translation and replication regulation. A number of RNA
-elements recruit cellular RNA-binding proteins that are involved in the regulation of HCV translation and replication. In addition, the liver-specific microRNA-122 (miR-122) binds to two target sites at the 5' end of the viral RNA genome as well as to at least three additional target sites in the coding region and the 3' UTR. It is involved in the regulation of HCV RNA stability, translation and replication, thereby largely contributing to the hepatotropism of HCV. However, we are still far from completely understanding all interactions that regulate HCV RNA genome translation, stability, replication and encapsidation. In particular, many conclusions on the function of
-elements in HCV replication have been obtained using full-length HCV genomes or near-full-length replicon systems. These include both genome ends, making it difficult to decide if a
-element in question acts on HCV replication when physically present in the plus strand genome or in the minus strand antigenome. Therefore, it may be required to use reduced systems that selectively focus on the analysis of HCV minus strand initiation and/or plus strand initiation.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects human liver hepatocytes, often leading to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is believed that chronic infection alters host gene expression and ...favors HCC development. In particular, HCV replication in Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) derived membranes induces chronic ER stress. How HCV replication affects host mRNA translation and transcription at a genome wide level is not yet known.
We used Riboseq (Ribosome Profiling) to analyze transcriptome and translatome changes in the Huh-7.5 hepatocarcinoma cell line replicating HCV for 6 days.
Established viral replication does not cause global changes in host gene expression-only around 30 genes are significantly differentially expressed. Upregulated genes are related to ER stress and HCV replication, and several regulated genes are known to be involved in HCC development. Some mRNAs (
/
,
/
, and
) may be subject to upstream open reading frame (uORF) mediated translation control. Transcriptional downregulation mainly affects mitochondrial respiratory chain complex core subunit genes.
After establishing HCV replication, the lack of global changes in cellular gene expression indicates an adaptation to chronic infection, while the downregulation of mitochondrial respiratory chain genes indicates how a virus may further contribute to cancer cell-like metabolic reprogramming ("Warburg effect") even in the hepatocellular carcinoma cells used here.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
We have analyzed the binding of the liver-specific microRNA-122 (miR-122) to three conserved target sites of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, two in the non-structural protein 5B (NS5B) coding region and ...one in the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR). miR-122 binding efficiency strongly depends on target site accessibility under conditions when the range of flanking sequences available for the formation of local RNA secondary structures changes. Our results indicate that the particular sequence feature that contributes most to the correlation between target site accessibility and binding strength varies between different target sites. This suggests that the dynamics of miRNA/Ago2 binding not only depends on the target site itself but also on flanking sequence context to a considerable extent, in particular in a small viral genome in which strong selection constraints act on coding sequence and overlapping cis-signals and model the accessibility of cis-signals. In full-length genomes, single and combination mutations in the miR-122 target sites reveal that site 5B.2 is positively involved in regulating overall genome replication efficiency, whereas mutation of site 5B.3 showed a weaker effect. Mutation of the 3′UTR site and double or triple mutants showed no significant overall effect on genome replication, whereas in a translation reporter RNA, the 3′UTR target site inhibits translation directed by the HCV 5′UTR. Thus, the miR-122 target sites in the 3′-region of the HCV genome are involved in a complex interplay in regulating different steps of the HCV replication cycle.
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EMUNI, FZAB, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects liver cells and often causes chronic infection, also leading to liver cirrhosis and cancer. In the cytoplasm, the viral structural and non-structural (NS) proteins are ...directly translated from the plus strand HCV RNA genome. The viral proteins NS3 to NS5B proteins constitute the replication complex that is required for RNA genome replication via a minus strand antigenome. The most C-terminal protein in the genome is the NS5B replicase, which needs to initiate antigenome RNA synthesis at the very 3'-end of the plus strand. Using ribosome profiling of cells replicating full-length infectious HCV genomes, we uncovered that ribosomes accumulate at the HCV stop codon and about 30 nucleotides upstream of it. This pausing is due to the presence of conserved rare, inefficient Wobble codons upstream of the termination site. Synonymous substitution of these inefficient codons to efficient codons has negative consequences for viral RNA replication but not for viral protein synthesis. This pausing may allow the enzymatically active replicase core to find its genuine RNA template in
, while the protein is still held in place by being stuck with its C-terminus in the exit tunnel of the paused ribosome.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The liver-specific microRNA-122 (miR-122) binds to two conserved binding sites in the 5' UTR of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA. This binding was reported to enhance HCV RNA replication, translation and ...stability. We have analysed binding of miR-122/Argonaute 2 (Ago2) complexes to these sites using anti-Ago2 co-immunoprecipitation of radioactively labelled HCV RNAs along with ectopic miR-122 in HeLa cells. Our results show that the miR-122 target sites can be addressed separately. When both target sites were addressed simultaneously, we observed a synergistic binding of both miR/Ago2 complexes. Consistently, simultaneous binding of both miR-122/Ago2 complexes results in cooperative translation stimulation. In the binding assays as well as in the translation assays, binding site 1 has a stronger effect than binding site 2. We also analysed the overall RNA stability as well as the 5' end integrity of these HCV RNAs in the presence of miR-122. Surprisingly, using short HCV reporter RNAs, we did not find effects of miR-122 binding on overall RNA stability or 5' end integrity over up to 36 h. In contrast, using full-length HCV genomes that are incapable of replication, we found a positive influence of miR-122 on RNA stability, indicating that features of the full-length HCV genome that do not reside in the 5' and 3' UTRs may render HCV RNA genome stability miR-122 dependent.
The HIV-1 epidemic in Russia is dominated by the former Soviet Union subtype A (A(FSU)) variant, but other genetic forms are circulating in the country. One is the recently described CRF63_02A1, ...derived from recombination between a CRF02_AG variant circulating in Central Asia and A(FSU), which has spread in the Novosibirsk region, Siberia. Here we phylogenetically analyze pol and env segments from 24 HIV-1 samples from the Novosibirsk region collected in 2013, with characterization of three new near full-length genome CRF63_02A1 sequences, and estimate the time of the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) and the demographic growth of CRF63_02A1 using a Bayesian method. The analyses revealed that CRF63_02A1 is highly predominant in the Novosibirsk region (81.2% in pol sequences) and is transmitted both among injecting drug users and by heterosexual contact. Similarity searches with database sequences combined with phylogenetic analyses show that CRF63_02A1 is circulating in East Kazakhstan and the Eastern area of Russia bordering China. The analyses of near full-length genome sequences show that its mosaic structure is more complex than reported, with 18 breakpoints. The tMRCA of CRF63_02A1 was estimated around 2006, with exponential growth in 2008-2009 and subsequent stabilization. These results provide new insights into the molecular epidemiology, phylogeny, and phylodynamics of CRF63_02A1.
► Peptide recognized by broadly neutralizing antibody 2G12 was selected with biopanning. ► Peptide was inserted into the artificial polyepitope protein TBI 2g12. ► TBI-2g12 induce HIV-neutralizing ...antibodies.
A major goal in HIV-1 vaccine research is to develop an immunogen that can elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies that efficiently neutralize a wide range of the HIV-1 subtypes. Using biopanning procedure we have selected linear peptide VGAFGSFYRLSVLQS mimicking the structure of discontinuous binding sites of broadly neutralizing antibodies 2G12 from phage peptide library. As a protein carrier, we used the earlier designed artificial polyepitope immunogen named TBI (T- and B-cell immunogen), which comprises B-cell and T-helper epitopes from the HIV-1 Env and Gag proteins. On the base of selected peptide mimotope VGAFGSFYRLSVLQS the artificial protein TBI-2g12 was constructed and its immunogenic properties was investigated. It was shown that the TBI-2g12 as well as the original TBI induces antibodies that recognize HIV-1 proteins and TBI protein using ELISA and immunoblotting. However only anti-TBI-2g12 serum recognized the synthetic peptide mimotope VGAFGSFYRLSVLQS, whereas the antibodies against original TBI don’t recognize it.
The neutralization assay demonstrated that serum antibodies of the mice immunized with TBI-2g12 possess virus neutralizing activity. The addition of selected peptide leads to inhibition neutralizing activity of anti- TBI-2g12 serum. We conclude from these results that immunogen TBI-2g12 containing the selected peptide VGAFGSFYRLSVLQS elicits HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies during immunization. Our data suggest that this immunogen may be useful in designing effective HIV-vaccine candidates.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The Coronaviridae is a family of positive-strand RNA viruses that includes SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bearing the largest single-stranded RNA genomes in nature, ...coronaviruses are critically dependent on long-distance RNA-RNA interactions to regulate the viral transcription and replication pathways. Here we experimentally mapped the in vivo RNA-RNA interactome of the full-length SARS-CoV-2 genome and subgenomic mRNAs. We uncovered a network of RNA-RNA interactions spanning tens of thousands of nucleotides. These interactions reveal that the viral genome and subgenomes adopt alternative topologies inside cells and engage in different interactions with host RNAs. Notably, we discovered a long-range RNA-RNA interaction, the FSE-arch, that encircles the programmed ribosomal frameshifting element. The FSE-arch is conserved in the related MERS-CoV and is under purifying selection. Our findings illuminate RNA structure-based mechanisms governing replication, discontinuous transcription, and translation of coronaviruses and will aid future efforts to develop antiviral strategies.
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•Comprehensive RNA-RNA networks of the SARS-CoV-2 genome and subgenomes inside cells•Long-range structures spanning thousands of bases resulting in dynamic topologies•Multiple site-specific interactions between host and virus RNAs•An arch around the ribosomal frameshifting element is under purifying selection
Coronaviruses use RNA structure to regulate their function. Ziv et al. identified maps of RNA-RNA interactions along the SARS-CoV-2 genome and subgenomes inside cells, revealing long-range base-pairing between distal elements, alternative co-existing RNA topologies, and interactions between virus and host RNA and providing insights into the coronavirus modes of action.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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