The highly ordered double-stranded RNA genome of bluetongue virus revealed by crystallography.
The concentration of double-stranded RNA within the bluetongue virus core renders the genome segments liquid crystalline. Powder diffraction rings confirm this local ordering with a 30 A separation between strands. Determination of the structure of the bluetongue virus core serotype 10 and comparison with that of serotype 1 reveals most of the genomic double-stranded RNA, packaged as well-ordered layers surrounding putative transcription complexes at the apices of the particle. The outer layer of RNA is sufficiently well ordered by interaction with the capsid that a model can be built and extended to the less-ordered inner layers, providing a structural framework for understanding the mechanism of this complex transcriptional machine. We show that the genome segments maintain local order during transcription.
Gouet
P
P
The Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Diprose
J M
JM
Grimes
J M
JM
Malby
R
R
Burroughs
J N
JN
Zientara
S
S
Stuart
D I
DI
Mertens
P P
PP
D000818:Animals; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D016679:Genome, Viral; D007477:Ions; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019065:Virus Assembly; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D007477:Ions; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012367:RNA, Viral; C074954:VP3 protein, Bluetongue virus; D014758:Viral Core Proteins