Dynamic interactions of retroviral Gag condensates with nascent viral RNA at transcriptional burst sites: implications for genomic RNA packaging.

ABSTRACT: Retroviruses are responsible for significant pathology in humans and animals, including the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and a wide range of malignancies. A crucial yet poorly understood step in the replication cycle is the recognition and selection of unspliced viral RNA (USvRNA) by the retroviral Gag protein, which binds to the psi (Ψ) packaging sequence in the 5' leader, to package it as genomic RNA (gRNA) into nascent virions. It was previously thought that Gag initially bound gRNA in the cytoplasm. However, previous studies demonstrated that the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) Gag protein traffics transiently through the nucleus, which is necessary for efficient gRNA packaging. These data formed a strong premise for the hypothesis that Gag selects nascent gRNA at transcription sites in

SUBMITTER: Maldonado RJK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11741468 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature