Chapter 10 Messenger RNA Cap Methylation in Vesicular Stomatitis Virus, a Prototype of Non‐Segmented Negative‐Sense RNA Virus

1. Introduction

2. Overview diagram of VSV mRNA synthesis and modifications

2.1. The structure of VSV virions

2.2. VSV life cycle

2.3. VSV mRNA synthesis and modifications

3. Large (L) polymerase protein, the multifunctional protein that modifies viral mRNA

4. An unconventional mRNA capping mechanism in VSV

4.1. Conventional mechanism of mRNA capping in eukaryotic cells

4.2. An unconventional mRNA capping mechanism in VSV

5. An unusual mechanism of mRNA cap methylation in VSV

5.1. Conventional mRNA cap methylation in eukaryotic cells

5.2. A single MTase catalytic site in CR-VI of L protein essential for both G-N-7 and 2’-O methylation

5.3. A single SAM binding site in L protein essential for both G-N-7 and 2’-O methylation

5.4. Mapping the potential RNA binding site that required for mRNA cap methylation

5.5. An unusual order for mRNA cap methylation in VSV

5.6. VSV methylases require cis-element in RNA

5.7. The length of mRNA in cap methylation

5.8. Model for mRNA cap methylation

5.9. Comparison of mRNA cap methylation in VSV and WNV

5.10. mRNA cap methylation in other NNS RNA viruses

6. The effects of 5’ mRNA cap addition and cap methylation on 3’ mRNA polyadenylation

7. Impact of mRNA cap methylation on viral replication and gene expression

8. Impact of mRNA cap methylation on viral pathogenesis in vitro

9. 2’-O methylation and innate immunity

10. MTase-defective viruses as live vaccine candidates

11. mRNA cap methylation as a target for anti-viral drug discovery

12. Concluding remarks

Author details

References