Evidence for ribosomal frameshifting and a novel overlapping gene in the genomes of insect-specific flaviviruses

Journal Article · Tue Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Virology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2009.12.033· OSTI ID:21357605

Firth, Andrew E., E-mail: a.firth@ucc.i ^[1]; Blitvich, Bradley J., E-mail: [e-mail] ^[2]; Wills, Norma M., E-mail: [e-mail] ^[3]; Miller, Cathy L., E-mail: [e-mail] ^[2]; Atkins, John F., E-mail: j.atkins@ucc.i ^[1]; Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5330 ^[4]

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1. BioSciences Institute, University College Cork, Cork (Ireland)
2. Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States)
3. Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5330 (United States)
4. (United States)

Flaviviruses have a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome of approx11 kb, encoding a large polyprotein that is cleaved to produce approx10 mature proteins. Cell fusing agent virus, Kamiti River virus, Culex flavivirus and several recently discovered flaviviruses have no known vertebrate host and apparently infect only insects. We present compelling bioinformatic evidence for a 253-295 codon overlapping gene (designated fifo) conserved throughout these insect-specific flaviviruses and immunofluorescent detection of its product. Fifo overlaps the NS2A/NS2B coding sequence in the - 1/+ 2 reading frame and is most likely expressed as a trans-frame fusion protein via ribosomal frameshifting at a conserved GGAUUUY slippery heptanucleotide with 3'-adjacent RNA secondary structure (which stimulates efficient frameshifting in vitro). The discovery bears striking parallels to the recently discovered ribosomal frameshifting site in the NS2A coding sequence of the Japanese encephalitis serogroup of flaviviruses and suggests that programmed ribosomal frameshifting may be more widespread in flaviviruses than currently realized.

• OSTI ID: 21357605
• Journal Information: Virology, Vol. 399, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2009.12.033; PII: S0042-6822(09)00818-6; Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; ISSN 0042-6822
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ENCEPHALITIS
GENES
INSECTS
PROTEINS
RIBOSOMES
RNA
VIRUSES
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
DISEASES
INVERTEBRATES
MICROORGANISMS
NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PARASITES