Cell-specific proteins regulate viral RNA translation and virus-induced disease.

ABSTRACT: Translation initiation of the picornavirus genome is regulated by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES). The IRES of a neurovirulent picornavirus, the GDVII strain of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus, requires polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB) for its function. Although neural cells are deficient in PTB, they express a neural-specific homologue of PTB (nPTB). We now show that nPTB and PTB bind similarly to multiple sites in the GDVII IRES, rendering it competent for efficient translation initiation. Mutation of a PTB or nPTB site results in a more prominent decrease in nPTB than PTB binding, a decrease in activity of nPTB compared with PTB in promoting translation initiation, and attenuation of the neurovirulence of the virus without a marked effect on virus growth in non

SUBMITTER: Pilipenko EV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC125770 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature