Antiviral Research · 2023 · 19 citations · 24 references
Life SciencesBiochemistryMolecular BiologyMolecular VirologyNucleic Acid BiochemistryVirologyRna CappingRna StructureRna-binding ProteinsViral Rna BiologyViral StructureVirus StructureCap Binding ProteinsElectrostatic InteractionsHydrogen BondingNucleobase Hydrogen BondingRna Capping EnzymesRna Virus BiologyViral Rna CappingViral Rna Structure
Mpox is a zoonotic disease caused by the mpox virus (MPXV), which has gained attention due to its rapid and widespread transmission, with reports from more than 100 countries. The virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which also includes variola virus and vaccinia virus. In poxviruses, the RNA cap is crucial for the translation and stability of viral mRNAs and also for immune evasion. This study presents the crystal structure of the mpox 2'-O-methyltransfarase VP39 in complex with a short cap-0 RNA. The RNA substrate binds to the protein without causing any significant changes to its overall fold and is held in place by a combination of electrostatic interactions, π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding. The structure also explains the mpox VP39 preference for a guanine base at the first position; it reveals that guanine forms a hydrogen bond that an adenine would not be able to form.
24
2′-O methylation of the viral mRNA cap evades host restriction by IFIT family members
Stéphane Daffis, Kristy J. Szretter, Jill Schriewer et al. · Nature · 2010 · 897 citations