Repression and Derepression of Minus-Strand Synthesis in a Plus-Strand RNA Virus Replicon

Abstract

Plus-strand viral RNAs contain sequences and structural elements that allow cognate RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) to correctly initiate and transcribe asymmetric levels of plus and minus strands during RNA replication. cis- acting sequences involved in minus-strand synthesis, including promoters, enhancers, and, recently, transcriptional repressors (J. Pogany, M. R. Fabian, K. A. White, and P. D. Nagy, EMBO J. 22: 5602-5611, 2003), have been identified for many viruses. A second example of a transcriptional repressor has been discovered in satC, a replicon associated with turnip crinkle virus. satC hairpin 5 (H5), located proximal to the core hairpin promoter, contains a large symmetrical internal loop (LSL) with sequence complementary to 3′-terminal bases. Deletion of satC 3′-terminal bases or alteration of the putative interacting bases enhanced transcription in vitro, while compensatory exchanges between the LSL and 3′ end restored near-normal transcription. Solution structure analysis indicated that substantial alteration of the satC H5 region occurs when the three 3′-terminal cytidylates are deleted. These results indicate that H5 functions to suppress synthesis of minus strands by sequestering the 3′ terminus from the RdRp. Alteration of a second sequence strongly repressed transcription in vitro and accumulation in vivo, suggesting that this sequence may function as a derepressor to free the 3′ end from interaction with H5. Hairpins with similar sequence and/or structural features that contain sequence complementary to 3′-terminal bases, as well as sequences that could function as derepressors, are located in similar regions in other carmoviruses, suggesting a general mechanism for controlling minus-strand synthesis in the genus.