Cross-species functionality of pararetroviral elements driving ribosome shunting.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) and Rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) belong to distinct genera of pararetroviruses infecting dicot and monocot plants, respectively. In both viruses, polycistronic translation of pregenomic (pg) RNA is initiated by shunting ribosomes that bypass a large region of the pgRNA leader with several short (s)ORFs and a stable stem-loop structure. The shunt requires translation of a 5'-proximal sORF terminating near the stem. In CaMV, mutations knocking out this sORF nearly abolish shunting and virus viability.

Methodology/principal findings

Here we show that two distant regions of the CaMV leader that form a minimal shunt configuration comprising the sORF, a bottom part of the stem, and a shunt landing sequence can be replaced by heter

SUBMITTER: Pooggin MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2241666 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature