Nodamura virus nonstructural protein B2 can enhance viral RNA accumulation in both mammalian and insect cells.
During infection of both vertebrate and invertebrate cell lines, the alphanodavirus Nodamura virus (NoV) expresses two nonstructural proteins of different lengths from the B2 open reading frame. The functions of these proteins have yet to be determined, but B2 of the related Flock House virus suppresses RNA interference both in Drosophila cells and in transgenic plants. To examine whether the NoV B2 proteins had similar functions, we compared the replication of wild-type NoV RNA with that of mutants unable to make the B2 proteins. We observed a defect in the accumulation of mutant viral RNA that varied in extent from negligible in some cell lines (e.g., baby hamster kidney cells) to severe in others (e.g., human HeLa and Drosophila DL-1 cells). These results are consistent with the notion that the NoV B2 proteins act to circumvent an innate antiviral response such as RNA interference that differs in efficacy among different host cells.
Johnson
Kyle L
KL
Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 845 19th St. South, Birmingham, AL 35294-2170, USA. kylej@uab.edu
Price
B Duane
BD
Eckerle
Lance D
LD
Ball
L Andrew
LA
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000821:virology; D006367:HeLa Cells / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D030381:Nodaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014779:Virus Replication
D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins