Host RNA polymerase II makes minimal contributions to retroviral frame-shift mutations.
The rate of mutation during retrovirus replication is high. Mutations can occur during transcription of the viral genomic RNA from the integrated provirus or during reverse transcription from viral RNA to form viral DNA or during replication of the proviral DNA as the host cell is dividing. Therefore, three polymerases may all contribute to retroviral evolution: host RNA polymerase II, viral reverse transcriptases and host DNA polymerases, respectively. Since the rate of mutation for host DNA polymerase is very low, mutations are more likely to be caused by the host RNA polymerase II and/or the viral reverse transcriptase. A system was established to detect the frequency of frame-shift mutations caused by cellular RNA polymerase II, as well as the rate of retroviral mutation during a single cycle of replication in vivo. In this study, it was determined that RNA polymerase II contributes less than 3 % to frame-shift mutations that occur during retrovirus replication. Therefore, the majority of frame-shift mutations detected within the viral genome are the result of errors during reverse transcription.
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics and Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, 206 Combs Research Bldg, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536-0096, USA.
Jiayou
J
Zhang
D000818:Animals; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000502:physiology*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014779:Virus Replication
D012319:RNA Polymerase II