Expression of Alphavirus Nonstructural Protein 2 (nsP2) in Mosquito Cells Inhibits Viral RNA Replication in Both a Protease Activity-Dependent and -Independent Manner.

ABSTRACT: Alphaviruses are positive-strand RNA viruses, mostly being mosquito-transmitted. Cells infected by an alphavirus become resistant to superinfection due to a block that occurs at the level of RNA replication. Alphavirus replication proteins, called nsP1-4, are produced from nonstructural polyprotein precursors, processed by the protease activity of nsP2. Trans-replicase systems and replicon vectors were used to study effects of nsP2 of chikungunya virus and Sindbis virus on alphavirus RNA replication in mosquito cells. Co-expressed wild-type nsP2 reduced RNA replicase activity of homologous virus; this effect was reduced but typically not abolished by mutation in the protease active site of nsP2. Mutations in the replicase polyprotein that blocked its cleavage by nsP2 reduced the negative e

SUBMITTER: Cherkashchenko L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9228716 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature