Structural requirements of adenovirus VAI RNA for its translation enhancement function.

The conformation of adenovirus VAI-RNA in solution.

The secondary structure of an adenovirus associated low molecular weight RNA (VAI-RNA) has been studied by partial digestion with T1-RNase and S1-endonuclease followed by T1-fingerprint analysis. The empirical secondary structure has been compared with two computer generated models based on minimal free energy of the structure. The results suggest that VAI-RNA in solution has a compact structur...

Structural analysis of adenovirus VAI RNA defines the mechanism of inhibition of PKR.

Protein kinase R (PKR) is activated by dsRNA produced during virus replication and plays a major role in the innate immunity response to virus infection. In response, viruses have evolved multiple strategies to evade PKR. Adenovirus virus-associated RNA-I (VAI) is a short, noncoding transcript that functions as an RNA decoy to sequester PKR in an inactive state. VAI consists of an apical stem-l...

Structural Requirements for Adenovirus DNA Replication

Impact of the structural integrity of the three-way junction of adenovirus VAI RNA on PKR inhibition

Highly structured RNA derived from viral genomes is a key cellular indicator of viral infection. In response, cells produce the interferon inducible RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) that, when bound to viral dsRNA, phosphorylates eukaryotic initiation factor 2α and attenuates viral protein translation. Adenovirus can evade this line of defence through transcription of a non-coding RNA, VAI, a...

Adenovirus VAI RNA prevents phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha subunit subsequent to infection.

The virus-associated VAI RNA of adenovirus is a small, RNA polymerase III-transcribed species required for efficient translation of mRNAs late after infection. Deletion mutant dl331 fails to produce this RNA and, as a result, grows poorly. Three lines of evidence suggest that VAI RNA facilitates translation by preventing inactivation of the function of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2). Fi...