Structural Insights into the Respiratory Syncytial Virus RNA Synthesis Complexes

• Main Authors: Dongdong Cao, Yunrong Gao, Bo Liang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Viruses
• Subjects: structure; respiratory syncytial virus; RNA synthesis; gene transcription; genome replication; N, L, P, and M2-1
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/5/834

RNA synthesis in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a negative-sense (−) nonsegmented RNA virus, consists of viral gene transcription and genome replication. Gene transcription includes the positive-sense (+) viral mRNA synthesis, 5′-RNA capping and methylation, and 3′ end polyadenylation. Genome replication includes (+) RNA antigenome and (−) RNA genome synthesis. RSV executes the viral RNA synthesis using an RNA synthesis ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, comprising four proteins, the nucleoprotein (N), the large protein (L), the phosphoprotein (P), and the M2-1 protein. We provide an overview of the RSV RNA synthesis and the structural insights into the RSV gene transcription and genome replication process. We propose a model of how the essential four proteins coordinate their activities in different RNA synthesis processes.