title: RNA sequences in the Moloney murine leukemia virus genome bound by the Gag precursor protein in the yeast three-hybrid system.
abstract: Encapsidation of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) genome is mediated through a specific interaction between the major viral structural protein, Gag, and an RNA packaging signal, Psi. Many studies have investigated this process in vivo, although the specific examination of the Gag-RNA interaction in this context is difficult due to the variety of other viral functions involved in virion assembly in vivo. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae three-hybrid assay was used to directly examine the interaction between MMLV Gag and Psi. In this system, MMLV RNA regions exhibiting high-affinity Gag binding were mapped. All Gag-binding regions were located 3' to the viral splice donor sequence of the viral RNA transcript. No single short RNA sequence within Psi supported strong Gag interaction. Instead, an RNA comprised of nearly the entire Psi region was necessary to demonstrate an appreciable Gag interaction in the yeast three-hybrid system. These finding support the notion that two stem-loops (C and D) are not sufficient to form a core MMLV encapsidation signal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bacharach
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Goff
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001665:Binding Sites; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000378:metabolism*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D019065:Virus Assembly
chemical_list: D015683:Gene Products, gag; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012367:RNA, Viral