G-quadruplexes formed by Varicella-Zoster virus reiteration sequences suppress expression of glycoprotein C and regulate viral cell-to-cell spread.

ABSTRACT: G-quadruplex (G4) formed by repetitive guanosine-rich sequences plays important roles in diverse cellular processes; however, its roles in viral infection are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the genome-wide distribution of G4-forming sequences (G4 motifs) in Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) and found that G4 motifs are enriched in the internal repeat short and the terminal repeat short regions flanking the unique short region and also in some reiteration (R) sequence regions. A high density of G4 motifs in the R2 region was found on the template strand of ORF14, which encodes glycoprotein C (gC), a virulent factor for viral growth in skin. Analyses such as circular dichroism spectroscopy, thermal difference spectra, and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with oligod

SUBMITTER: Chung WC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9873165 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature