Hepatitis C virus NS5B polymerase exhibits distinct nucleotide requirements for initiation and elongation.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B protein is an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) essential for replication of the viral RNA genome. Purified NS5B has been reported to exhibit multiple activities in vitro. Using a synthetic heteropolymeric RNA template with dideoxycytidine at its 3'-end, we examined de novo initiation and primer extension in a system devoid of self-priming and terminal nucleotide transferase activities. Products predominantly of template size and its multiples were detected. High concentrations of nucleoside triphosphates (K(app)(m) approximately 100-400 mum) corresponding to the first three incorporated nucleotides were found to be required for efficient de novo RNA synthesis. In the presence of initiating di- or trinucleotides, however, the amount of NTP needed to achieve maximal activity dropped 10(3)- to 10(4)-fold, revealing a much reduced nucleotide requirement for elongation (K(app)(m) approximately 0.03-0.09 microm). Accordingly, single round extension from an exogenous primer following preincubation of the enzyme with template and primer could also be supported by <0.1 microm levels of NTP. De novo synthesis at high NTP concentrations was shown to be preferred over primer extension. On a dideoxycytidine-blocked synthetic RNA template derived from the 3'-end of the HCV(-)UTR, the addition of the corresponding initiating trinucleotide also dramatically reduced the NTP levels needed to achieve efficient RNA synthesis. Thus, distinct nucleotide requirements exist for initiation and elongation steps catalyzed by the HCV NS5B polymerase.
Department of Virology, Schering-Plough Research Institute, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, USA.
Eric
E
Ferrari
Zhiqing
Z
He
Robert E
RE
Palermo
H-C
HC
Huang
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000737:chemistry; D001483:Base Sequence; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000201:enzymology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000737:chemistry*; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D006163:Ribonuclease T1 / Q000737:chemistry; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D016047:Zalcitabine / Q000737:chemistry
D009711:Nucleotides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D012313:RNA; D016047:Zalcitabine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D006493:Heparin; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase; D006163:Ribonuclease T1