title: Structure of the full-length HCV IRES in solution.
abstract: The 5'-untranslated region of the hepatitis C virus genome contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that initiates cap-independent translation of the viral RNA. Until now, the structural characterization of the entire (IRES) remained limited to cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions of the (IRES) bound to different cellular partners. Here we report an atomic model of free full-length hepatitis C virus (IRES) refined by selection against small-angle X-ray scattering data that incorporates the known structures of different fragments. We found that an ensemble of conformers reproduces small-angle X-ray scattering data better than a single structure suggesting in combination with molecular dynamics simulations that the hepatitis C virus (IRES) is an articulated molecule made of rigid parts that move relative to each other. Principal component analysis on an ensemble of physically accessible conformers of hepatitis C virus (IRES) revealed dominant collective motions in the molecule, which may underlie the conformational changes occurring in the (IRES) molecule upon formation of the initiation complex.
authors.affiliation: UMI 3265 UJF-EMBL-CNRS, Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interactions, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérard
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leyrat
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baudin
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Drouet
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamin
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D012270:Ribosomes; D053838:Scattering, Small Angle; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions