Epitranscriptomic cytidine methylation of the hepatitis B viral RNA is essential for viral reverse transcription and particle production.

ABSTRACT: Epitranscriptomic RNA modifications have emerged as important regulators of the fate and function of viral RNAs. One prominent modification, the cytidine methylation 5-methylcytidine (m⁵C), is found on the RNA of HIV-1, where m⁵C enhances the translation of HIV-1 RNA. However, whether m⁵C functionally enhances the RNA of other pathogenic viruses remains elusive. Here, we surveyed a panel of commonly found RNA modifications on the RNA of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and found that HBV RNA is enriched with m⁵C as well as ten other modifications, at stoichiometries much higher than host messenger RNA (mRNA). Intriguingly, m⁵C is mostly found on the epsilon hairpin, an RNA element required for viral RNA encapsidation and reverse transcription,

SUBMITTER: Su PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11181118 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature