The viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp; L protein) of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV; family Bunyaviridae) is a 238 kDa protein that is crucial for the life cycle of the virus, as it catalyses both transcription of viral mRNAs and replication of the tripartite genome. Despite its importance, little is known about the intracellular distribution of the polymerase or its other roles during in...

All RNA viruses encode an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) that is required for replication of the viral genome. Nuclear inclusion b (NIb) gene codes for the RdRp in Potyviridae viruses. In this study, expression, solubilization and purification of NIb protein of Cardamom mosaic virus (CdMV) is reported. The objective of the present study was to express and purify the NIb protein of CdMV on ...

Production of soluble full-length nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been shown to be problematic and requires the addition of salts, glycerol, and detergents. In an effort to improve the solubility of NS5B, the hydrophobic C terminus containing 21 amino acids was removed, yielding a truncated NS5B (NS5BDeltaCT) which is highly soluble and monodispersed in the absenc...

The paramyxovirus RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) complex loads onto the nucleocapsid protein (N)-encapsidated viral N:RNA genome for RNA synthesis. Binding of the RdRp of measles virus (MeV), a paramyxovirus archetype, is mediated through interaction with a molecular recognition element (MoRE) located near the end of the carboxyl-terminal Ntail domain. The structurally disordered central N...

Dicer-dependent small noncoding RNAs play important roles in gene regulation in a wide variety of organisms. Endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are part of an ancient pathway of transposon control in plants and animals. The ciliate, Oxytricha trifallax, has approximately 16,000 gene-sized chromosomes in its somatic nucleus. Long noncoding RNAs establish high ploidy levels at the onset o...

The viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) activity of the dengue virus (DENV) NS5 protein is an attractive target for drug design. Here, we report the identification of a novel class of inhibitor (i.e., an active-site metal ion chelator) that acts against DENV RdRp activity. DENV RdRp utilizes a two-metal-ion mechanism of catalysis; therefore, we constructed a small library of compounds, th...

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), represented by nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B), belongs to a class of integral membrane proteins termed tail-anchored proteins. Its membrane association is mediated by the C-terminal 21 amino acid residues, which are dispensable for RdRp activity in vitro. For this study, we investigated the role of this domain, termed the inserti...

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) possesses a single-stranded positive RNA genome that contains a single open reading frame (ORF) flanked by a 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) and a polyadenylated 3'UTR. Here, we demonstrated that EV71 activates the production of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1), a histone deacetylase (HDAC). EV71 further stimulates SIRT1 sumoylation and deacetyl...

Sapoviruses are one of the major agents of acute gastroenteritis in childhood. They form a tight genetic cluster (genus) in the Caliciviridae family that regroups both animal and human pathogenic strains. No permissive tissue culture has been developed for human sapovirus, limiting its characterization to surrogate systems. We report here on the first extensive characterization of the key enzym...

Grapevine virus G (GVG) and grapevine H (GVH) (genus Vitivirus) are recently discovered viruses. Analysis of 38 samples from Sardinian cultivars for the presence GVG GVH was carried out using RT-PCR. All were also tested Pinot gris (GPGV) RT-PCR, leafroll -1, -2 -3, A (GVA) B (GVB), arabis mosaic (ArMV), fanleaf (GFLV) fleck (GFkV) multiplex confirmed in four vines, detected only one sample. In...