The NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase encoded by hepatitis C virus (HCV) plays a key role in viral replication. Reported here is evidence that HCV NS5B polymerase acts as a functional oligomer. Oligomerization of HCV NS5B protein was demonstrated by gel filtration, chemical cross-linking, temperature sensitivity, and yeast cell two-hybrid analysis. Mutagenesis studies showed that the C-terminal...

The degree of secondary structure in the poly(C) tract of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) RNA has been investigated using sodium bisulphite, which brings about the hydrolysis of non-base-paired cytidylic acid to uridylic acid in RNA. The percentage conversion of C to U in the poly(C) region of native EMCV RNA was similar to that found in a synthetic polynucleotide lacking secondary structure ...

background: hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection is the most common transfusion transmitted disease in poly-transfused patients worldwide. in this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of pegylated interferon alfa-2a (peg-ifn a-2a) in reducing serum alt and eradicating serum hepatitis c virus (hcv) rna in hcv infected polytransfused thalassemic patients. materials and methods: a cohort of 51 hcv-...

Dysregulated expression of the c-myc and c-myb protooncogenes has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To elucidate mechanisms of c-myc dysregulation in AML cells, we studied c-myc RNA turnover in peripheral blood blasts from eight patients using actinomycin D transcription blockade. Rapid c-myc RNA turnover was seen in cells from six patients, with half-lives of...

The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) from hepatitis C virus (HCV), nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B), has recently been shown to direct de novo initiation using a number of complex RNA templates. In this study, we analyzed the features in simple RNA templates that are required to direct de novo initiation of RNA synthesis by HCV NS5B. NS5B was found to protect RNA fragments of 8 to 10 nucleoti...

Multiple conserved structural cis-acting regulatory elements have been recognized both in the coding and untranslated regions (UTRs) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome. For example, the cis-element 5BSL3.2 in the HCV-coding region has been predicted to use both its apical and internal loops to interact with the X RNA in the 3'-UTR, with the IIId domain in the 5'-UTR and with the Alt sequence...

An RNA fragment, constituting three subfragments of nucleotide sequences 1-11, 69-87 and 89-120, is the most ribonuclease-resistant part of the native 5S RNA of Escherichia coli, at 0 degrees C. A smaller fragment of nucleotide sequence 69-87 and 90-110 is ribonuclease-resistant at 25 degrees. Degradation of the L25-5S RNA complex with ribonuclease A or T2 yielded RNA fragments similar to those...