An in vitro network of intermolecular interactions between viral RNA segments of an avian H5N2 influenza A virus: comparison with a human H3N2 virus.

ABSTRACT: The genome of influenza A viruses (IAV) is split into eight viral RNAs (vRNAs) that are encapsidated as viral ribonucleoproteins. The existence of a segment-specific packaging mechanism is well established, but the molecular basis of this mechanism remains to be deciphered. Selective packaging could be mediated by direct interaction between the vRNA packaging regions, but such interactions have never been demonstrated in virions. Recently, we showed that the eight vRNAs of a human H3N2 IAV form a single interaction network in vitro that involves regions of the vRNAs known to contain packaging signals in the case of H1N1 IAV strains. Here, we show that the eight vRNAs of an avian H5N2 IAV also form a single network of interactions in vitro, but, interestingly, the interactions and the regio

SUBMITTER: Gavazzi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3553942 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature