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Journal of Virology, September 2008, p. 9254-9264, Vol. 82, No. 18
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.01044-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Nontemplated Terminal Nucleotidyltransferase Activity of Double-Stranded RNA Bacteriophage {phi}6 RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase {triangledown}

Minna M. Poranen, Minni R. L. Koivunen, and Dennis H. Bamford*

Institute of Biotechnology and Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikki Biocenter, P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5), 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland

Received 19 May 2008/ Accepted 3 July 2008

The replication and transcription of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses occur within a polymerase complex particle in which the viral genome is enclosed throughout the entire life cycle of the virus. A single protein subunit in the polymerase complex is responsible for the template-dependent RNA polymerization activity. The isolated polymerase subunit of the dsRNA bacteriophage {phi}6 was previously shown to replicate and transcribe given RNA molecules. In this study, we show that this enzyme also catalyzes nontemplated nucleotide additions to single-stranded and double-stranded nucleic acid molecules. This terminal nucleotidyltransferase activity not only is a property of the isolated enzyme but also is detected to take place within the viral nucleocapsid. This is the first time terminal nucleotidyltransferase activity has been reported for a dsRNA virus as well as for a viral particle. The results obtained together with previous high-resolution structural data on the {phi}6 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase suggest a mechanism for terminal nucleotidyl addition. We propose that the activity is involved in the termination of the template-dependent RNA polymerization reaction on the linear {phi}6 genome.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Biotechnology and Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 5), 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358-9-19159100. Fax: 358-9-19159098. E-mail: dennis.bamford{at}helsinki.fi

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 9 July 2008.

Journal of Virology, September 2008, p. 9254-9264, Vol. 82, No. 18
0022-538X/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.01044-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Sarin, L. P., Poranen, M. M., Lehti, N. M., Ravantti, J. J., Koivunen, M. R. L., Aalto, A. P., van Dijk, A. A., Stuart, D. I., Grimes, J. M., Bamford, D. H. (2009). Insights into the pre-initiation events of bacteriophage {varphi}6 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase: towards the assembly of a productive binary complex. Nucleic Acids Res 37: 1182-1192 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Poranen, M. M., Salgado, P. S., Koivunen, M. R. L., Wright, S., Bamford, D. H., Stuart, D. I., Grimes, J. M. (2008). Structural explanation for the role of Mn2+ in the activity of {phi}6 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Nucleic Acids Res 36: 6633-6644 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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