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 Ostrow, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Loeb, D. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ostrow, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Loeb, D. D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Virology, September 2002, p. 9087-9095, Vol. 76, No. 18
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.76.18.9087-9095.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Characterization of the cis-Acting Contributions to Avian Hepadnavirus RNA Encapsidation

Kristin M. Ostrow and Daniel D. Loeb*

McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53706

Received 19 April 2002/ Accepted 12 June 2002

Previous analysis of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) indicated the presence of at least two cis-acting sequences required for efficient encapsidation of its pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), {varepsilon} and region II. {varepsilon}, an RNA stem-loop near the 5' end of the pgRNA, has been characterized in detail, while region II, located in the middle of the pgRNA, is not as well defined. Our initial aim was to identify the sequence important for the function of region II in DHBV. We scanned region II and the surrounding sequence by using a quantitative encapsidation assay. We found that the sequence between nucleotides (nt) 438 and 720 contributed to efficient pgRNA encapsidation, while the sequence between nt 538 and 610 made the largest contribution to encapsidation. Additionally, deletions between the two encapsidation sequences, {varepsilon} and region II, had variable effects on encapsidation, while substitutions of heterologous sequence between {varepsilon} and region II disrupted the ability of the pgRNA to be encapsidated efficiently. Overall, these data indicate that the intervening sequences between {varepsilon} and region II play a role in encapsidation. We also analyzed heron hepatitis B virus (HHBV) for the presence of region II and found features similar to DHBV: a broad region necessary for efficient encapsidation that contained a critical region II sequence. Furthermore, we analyzed variants of DHBV that were substituted with HHBV sequence over region II and found that the chimeras were not fully functional for RNA encapsidation. These results indicate that sequences within region II may need to be compatible with other viral components in order to function in pgRNA encapsidation.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin Medical School, 1400 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706. Phone: (608) 262-1260. Fax: (608) 262-2824. E-mail: loeb{at}oncology.wisc.edu.

Journal of Virology, September 2002, p. 9087-9095, Vol. 76, No. 18
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.76.18.9087-9095.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Basagoudanavar, S. H., Perlman, D. H., Hu, J. (2007). Regulation of Hepadnavirus Reverse Transcription by Dynamic Nucleocapsid Phosphorylation. J. Virol. 81: 1641-1649 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hu, J., Boyer, M. (2006). Hepatitis B Virus Reverse Transcriptase and {varepsilon} RNA Sequences Required for Specific Interaction In Vitro. J. Virol. 80: 2141-2150 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hu, K., Beck, J., Nassal, M. (2004). SELEX-derived aptamers of the duck hepatitis B virus RNA encapsidation signal distinguish critical and non-critical residues for productive initiation of reverse transcription. Nucleic Acids Res 32: 4377-4389 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ostrow, K. M., Loeb, D. D. (2004). Chimeras of Duck and Heron Hepatitis B Viruses Provide Evidence for Functional Interactions between Viral Components of Pregenomic RNA Encapsidation. J. Virol. 78: 8780-8787 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ostrow, K. M., Loeb, D. D. (2004). Underrepresentation of the 3' Region of the Capsid Pregenomic RNA of Duck Hepatitis B Virus. J. Virol. 78: 2179-2186 [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»