Viral suppressors of RNA interference impair RNA silencing induced by a Semliki Forest virus replicon in tick cells.
It was recently shown that infection of ISE6 tick cells by a recombinant Semliki Forest virus (SFV) expressing a heterologous gene induced small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and silencing of the gene. To gain information on RNA interference (RNAi) in ticks, three known viral inhibitors that act in different ways, the NS1 protein of Influenza virus, NSs of Tospovirus Tomato spotted wilt virus and HC-Pro of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus were expressed and investigated to determine if they antagonize induced RNAi. Using the recombinant SFV replicon expressing firefly luciferase, silencing was induced and the suppressor activity of these inhibitors during or after initiation of siRNA synthesis was tested, to determine which step of the RNAi pathway is impaired. It was found that these proteins, identified in mammalian or plant systems, also display activity in tick cells. These data suggest that ticks utilize a mechanism similar to the one found in other eukaryotes.
Garcia
Stephan
S
Unité de Génétique Moléculaire des Bunyaviridés, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.|Laboratoire de Virologie, CRSSA, BP 87, 38702 Grenoble, France.
Billecocq
Agnès
A
Unité de Génétique Moléculaire des Bunyaviridés, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Crance
Jean-Marc
JM
Laboratoire de Virologie, CRSSA, BP 87, 38702 Grenoble, France.
Prins
Marcel
M
Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
Garin
Daniel
D
Laboratoire de Virologie, CRSSA, BP 87, 38702 Grenoble, France.
Bouloy
Michèle
M
Unité de Génétique Moléculaire des Bunyaviridés, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018884:Ixodes; D017800:Potyvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D034622:RNA Interference; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D012093:Replicon; D012672:Semliki forest virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D017865:Tospovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
C085820:INS1 protein, influenza virus; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C072775:HC-Pro protein, potyvirus