This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Stillman, E. A.
Right arrow Articles by Whitt, M. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Stillman, E. A.
Right arrow Articles by Whitt, M. A.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Virol, July 1998, p. 5565-5572, Vol. 72, No. 7
0022-538X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

The Length and Sequence Composition of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Intergenic Regions Affect mRNA Levels and the Site of Transcript Initiation

Elizabeth A. Stillman and Michael A. Whitt*

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee 38163

Received 17 November 1997/Accepted 9 April 1998

In this study, we used a dicistronic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) minigenome to investigate the effects of either single or multiple nucleotide insertions placed immediately after the nontranscribed intergenic dinucleotide of the M gene on VSV transcription. Both Northern blot and primer extension analysis showed that the polymerase responded to the inserted nucleotides in a sequence-specific manner such that some insertions had no effect on mRNA synthesis from the downstream G gene, nor on the site of transcript initiation, whereas other insertions resulted in dramatic reductions in transcript accumulation. Some of these transcripts were initiated at the wild-type site, while others initiated within the inserted sequence. We also examined the transcriptional events that occurred when a natural, 21-nucleotide intergenic region located between the G and L genes from the New Jersey (NJ) serotype of VSV was inserted into the minigenome gene junction. In contrast to the normal 25 to 30% attenuation observed for downstream transcription at gene junctions containing the typical dinucleotide (3'-GA-5') intergenic region, the NJ variant showed greater than 75% attenuation at the gene junction. In addition, the polymerase initiated transcription at two major start sites, one of which was located within the intergenic sequence. Collectively, these data suggest that the polymerase "samples" the intergenic sequences following polyadenylation and termination of the upstream transcript by scanning until an appropriate start site is found. One implication of a scanning polymerase is that the polymerase presumably switches states from a processive elongation mode to a stuttering mode for polyadenylation to one in which no transcription occurs, before it reinitiates at the downstream gene. Our data support the hypothesis that sequences surrounding the intergenic region modulate these events such that appropriate amounts of each mRNA are synthesized.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: 858 Madison Ave., Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, Memphis, TN 38163. Phone: (901) 448-4634. Fax: (901) 448-8462. E-mail: MWhitt{at}utmem1.utmem.edu.

J Virol, July 1998, p. 5565-5572, Vol. 72, No. 7
0022-538X/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Yan, Y., Samal, S. K. (2008). Role of Intergenic Sequences in Newcastle Disease Virus RNA Transcription and Pathogenesis. J. Virol. 82: 1323-1331 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rennick, L. J., Duprex, W. P., Rima, B. K. (2007). Measles virus minigenomes encoding two autofluorescent proteins reveal cell-to-cell variation in reporter expression dependent on viral sequences between the transcription units. J. Gen. Virol. 88: 2710-2718 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cordey, S., Roux, L. (2006). Transcribing paramyxovirus RNA polymerase engages the template at its 3' extremity.. J. Gen. Virol. 87: 665-672 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cowton, V. M., Fearns, R. (2005). Evidence that the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Polymerase Is Recruited to Nucleotides 1 to 11 at the 3' End of the Nucleocapsid and Can Scan To Access Internal Signals. J. Virol. 79: 11311-11322 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vulliemoz, D., Cordey, S., Mottet-Osman, G., Roux, L. (2005). Nature of a paramyxovirus replication promoter influences a nearby transcription signal. J. Gen. Virol. 86: 171-180 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sasaya, T., Kusaba, S., Ishikawa, K., Koganezawa, H. (2004). Nucleotide sequence of RNA2 of Lettuce big-vein virus and evidence for a possible transcription termination/initiation strategy similar to that of rhabdoviruses. J. Gen. Virol. 85: 2709-2717 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Neumann, G., Whitt, M. A., Kawaoka, Y. (2002). A decade after the generation of a negative-sense RNA virus from cloned cDNA - what have we learned?. J. Gen. Virol. 83: 2635-2662 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cuevas, J. M., Elena, S. F., Moya, A. (2002). Molecular Basis of Adaptive Convergence in Experimental Populations of RNA Viruses. Genetics 162: 533-542 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Whelan, S. P. J., Wertz, G. W. (2002). Transcription and replication initiate at separate sites on the vesicular stomatitis virus genome. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 9178-9183 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hinzman, E. E., Barr, J. N., Wertz, G. W. (2002). Identification of an Upstream Sequence Element Required for Vesicular Stomatitis Virus mRNA Transcription. J. Virol. 76: 7632-7641 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wertz, G. W., Moudy, R., Ball, L. A. (2002). Adding Genes to the RNA Genome of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus: Positional Effects on Stability of Expression. J. Virol. 76: 7642-7650 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Quer, J., Hershey, C. L., Domingo, E., Holland, J. J., Novella, I. S. (2001). Contingent Neutrality in Competing Viral Populations. J. Virol. 75: 7315-7320 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Barr, J. N., Wertz, G. W. (2001). Polymerase Slippage at Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Gene Junctions To Generate Poly(A) Is Regulated by the Upstream 3'-AUAC-5' Tetranucleotide: Implications for the Mechanism of Transcription Termination. J. Virol. 75: 6901-6913 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vulliémoz, D., Roux, L. (2001). "Rule of Six": How Does the Sendai Virus RNA Polymerase Keep Count?. J. Virol. 75: 4506-4518 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Parks, G. D., Ward, K. R., Rassa, J. C. (2001). Increased Readthrough Transcription across the Simian Virus 5 M-F Gene Junction Leads to Growth Defects and a Global Inhibition of Viral mRNA Synthesis. J. Virol. 75: 2213-2223 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Whelan, S. P. J., Barr, J. N., Wertz, G. W. (2000). Identification of a Minimal Size Requirement for Termination of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus mRNA: Implications for the Mechanism of Transcription. J. Virol. 74: 8268-8276 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Finke, S., Cox, J. H., Conzelmann, K.-K. (2000). Differential Transcription Attenuation of Rabies Virus Genes by Intergenic Regions: Generation of Recombinant Viruses Overexpressing the Polymerase Gene. J. Virol. 74: 7261-7269 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kato, A., Kiyotani, K., Hasan, M. K., Shioda, T., Sakai, Y., Yoshida, T., Nagai, Y. (1999). Sendai Virus Gene Start Signals Are Not Equivalent in Reinitiation Capacity: Moderation at the Fusion Protein Gene. J. Virol. 73: 9237-9246 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stillman, E. A., Whitt, M. A. (1999). Transcript Initiation and 5'-End Modifications Are Separable Events during Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Transcription. J. Virol. 73: 7199-7209 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rassa, J. C., Parks, G. D. (1999). Highly Diverse Intergenic Regions of the Paramyxovirus Simian Virus 5 Cooperate with the Gene End U Tract in Viral Transcription Termination and Can Influence Reinitiation at a Downstream Gene. J. Virol. 73: 3904-3912 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»