title: La protein binding at the GCAC site near the initiator AUG facilitates the ribosomal assembly on the hepatitis C virus RNA to influence internal ribosome entry site-mediated translation.
abstract: Human La autoantigen has been shown to influence internal initiation of translation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA. Previously, we have demonstrated that, among the three RRMs of La protein, the RRM2 interacts with HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES) around the GCAC motif near the initiator AUG present in the stem region of stem-loop IV (SL IV) (Pudi, R., Abhiman, S., Srinivasan, N., and Das S. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 12231-12240). Here, we have demonstrated that the mutations in the GCAC motif, which altered the binding to RRM2, had drastic effect on HCV IRES-mediated translation, both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that the primary sequence of the stem region of SL IV plays an important role in mediating internal initiation. Furthermore, we have shown that the mutations also altered the ability to bind to ribosomal protein S5 (p25), through which 40 S ribosomal subunit is known to contact the HCV IRES RNA. Interestingly, binding of La protein to SL IV region induced significant changes in the circular dichroism spectra of the HCV RNA indicating conformational alterations that might assist correct positioning of the initiation complex. Finally, the ribosome assembly analysis using sucrose gradient centrifugation implied that the mutations within SL IV of HCV IRES impair the formation of functional ribosomal complexes. These observations strongly support the hypothesis that La protein binding near the initiator AUG facilitates the interactions with ribosomal protein S5 and 48 S ribosomal assembly and influences the formation of functional initiation complex on the HCV IRES RNA to mediate efficient internal initiation of translation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Sir C.V. Raman Avenue, Bangalore 560012, India.
authors.forename: Renuka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pudi
authors.forename: Prabhavathi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Saumitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D001324:Autoantigens; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D018387:Codon, Initiator; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D000097585:SS-B Antigen
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D018387:Codon, Initiator; D012313:RNA; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins; D013395:Sucrose; D000097585:SS-B Antigen; C000715594:CBX5 protein, human