Baudin F, Bach C, Cusack S, Ruigrok R W
EMBL Grenoble Outstation, France.
EMBO J. 1994 Jul 1;13(13):3158-65. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1994.tb06614.x.
The influenza virus genome consists of eight segments of negative-sense RNA, i.e. the viral (v) RNA forms the template for the mRNA. Each segment is encapsidated by the viral nucleoprotein to form a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particle and each RNP carries its own polymerase complex. We studied the interaction of purified nucleoprotein with RNA in vitro, by using a variety of enzymatic and chemical probes for RNA conformation. Our results suggest that the nucleoprotein binds to the vRNA backbone without apparent sequence specificity, exposing the bases to the outside and melting all secondary structure. In this way, the viral polymerase may transcribe the RNA without the need for dissociating the nucleoprotein and without being stopped by RNA secondary structure, and the viral RNPs are ready to start transcription as soon as they enter the host cell.
流感病毒基因组由八个负链RNA片段组成，即病毒（v）RNA作为mRNA的模板。每个片段都被病毒核蛋白包裹形成核糖核蛋白（RNP）颗粒，每个RNP都携带自己的聚合酶复合物。我们通过使用多种用于RNA构象的酶促和化学探针，在体外研究了纯化的核蛋白与RNA的相互作用。我们的结果表明，核蛋白与vRNA主链结合，没有明显的序列特异性，将碱基暴露于外部并解开所有二级结构。通过这种方式，病毒聚合酶可以转录RNA，而无需解离核蛋白，也不会被RNA二级结构阻止，并且病毒RNP一旦进入宿主细胞就准备好开始转录。
