An Extended Primer Grip of Picornavirus Polymerase Facilitates Sexual RNA Replication Mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: Picornaviruses have both asexual and sexual RNA replication mechanisms. Asexual RNA replication mechanisms involve one parental template, whereas sexual RNA replication mechanisms involve two or more parental templates. Because sexual RNA replication mechanisms counteract ribavirin-induced error catastrophe, we selected for ribavirin-resistant poliovirus to identify polymerase residues that facilitate sexual RNA replication mechanisms. We used serial passage in ribavirin, beginning with a variety of ribavirin-sensitive and ribavirin-resistant parental viruses. Ribavirin-sensitive virus contained an L420A polymerase mutation, while ribavirin-resistant virus contained a G64S polymerase mutation. A G64 codon mutation (G64^Fix) was used to inhibit emergence of G64S-mediated ribavirin

SUBMITTER: Kempf BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7394906 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature