New model for the secondary structure of the 5' non-coding RNA of poliovirus is supported by biochemical and genetic data that also show that RNA secondary structure is important in neurovirulence.
A secondary structure model for the 5' non-coding RNA of poliovirus has been derived by comparing computer-generated folding patterns of equivalent sequences from a number of related enteroviruses and rhinoviruses and identifying compensating mutations that suggest conservation of a common secondary structure. Although certain elements are similar, the new model differs considerably from a previously published minimal energy structure and is consistent with the observed sensitivity of in vitro RNA transcripts of infectious poliovirus cDNA to RNases and modifying chemicals. The sequence of a neurovirulent revertant of an attenuated mutant provides additional evidence for an interaction between a region known to be important for neurovirulence, sequence 471-483, and nucleotides 528 to 538.
Skinner
M A
MA
Department of Microbiology, University of Reading, England.
Racaniello
V R
VR
Dunn
G
G
Cooper
J
J
Minor
P D
PD
Almond
J W
JW
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D017955:Poliovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000382:microbiology
D012367:RNA, Viral