Histidine-mediated RNA transfer to GDP for unique mRNA capping by vesicular stomatitis virus RNA polymerase.

ABSTRACT: The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L protein of vesicular stomatitis virus, a prototype of nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA viruses, forms a covalent complex with a 5'-phosphorylated viral mRNA-start sequence (L-pRNA), a putative intermediate in the unconventional mRNA capping reaction catalyzed by the RNA:GDP polyribonucleotidyltransferase (PRNTase) activity. Here, we directly demonstrate that the purified L-pRNA complex transfers pRNA to GDP to produce the capped RNA (Gpp-pRNA), indicating that the complex is a bona fide intermediate in the RNA transfer reaction. To locate the active site of the PRNTase domain in the L protein, the covalent RNA attachment site was mapped. We found that the 5'-monophosphate end of the RNA is linked to the histidine residue at position 1,227 (H1227) of

SUBMITTER: Ogino T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2840475 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature