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Viral infection

Packing to leave

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 15, page 451 (2017)Cite this article

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An essential feature of the life cycle of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the packaging of the viral RNA pre-genome (pgRNA) into virions. It has been hypothesized that pgRNA is specifically packaged into viral nucleocapsids; however, the HBV assembly pathway remains incompletely understood. In a recent study, Patel, White et al. discover that the HBV pgRNA contains specific nucleotide motifs that mediate interactions with the viral capsid protein to drive nucleocapsid assembly.

Next, the authors designed oligoribonucleotides that contained the predicted stem–loop structures and saw that these oligoribonucleotides bind to the HBV capsid protein and trigger the assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs). Using cryo-electron microscopy, an asymmetric RNA feature was identified in these VLPs below the capsid protein shell, which the authors claim represents a complex between the identified packaging signals and the viral capsid shell. These results suggest a new model of HBV assembly.

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References

  1. Patel, N., White, S. J. et al. HBV RNA pre-genome encodes specific motifs that mediate interactions with the viral core protein that promote nucleocapsid assembly. Nat. Microbiol. 2, 17098 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2017.98(2017)

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  1. Ashley York
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York, A. Packing to leave. Nat Rev Microbiol 15, 451 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro.2017.81

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro.2017.81

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