RNA secondary structure at the transcription start site influences EBOV transcription initiation and replication in a length- and stability-dependent manner.

ABSTRACT: Ebola virus (EBOV) RNA has the potential to form hairpin structures at the transcription start sequence (TSS) and reinitiation sites of internal genes, both on the genomic and antigenomic/mRNA level. Hairpin formation involving the TSS and the spacer sequence between promotor elements (PE) 1 and 2 was suggested to regulate viral transcription. Here, we provide evidence that such RNA structures form during RNA synthesis by the viral polymerase and affect its activity. This was analysed using monocistronic minigenomes carrying hairpin structure variants in the TSS-spacer region that differ in length and stability. Transcription and replication were measured via reporter activity and by qRT-PCR quantification of the distinct viral RNA species. We demonstrate that viral RNA synthesis is remark

SUBMITTER: Bach S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7971292 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature