Structure of Ljungan virus provides insight into genome packaging of this picornavirus

Picornaviruses are responsible for a range of human and animal diseases, but how their RNA genome is packaged remains poorly understood. A particularly poorly studied group within this family are those that lack the internal coat protein, VP4. Here we report the atomic structure of one such virus, Ljungan virus, the type member of the genus Parechovirus B, which has been linked to diabetes and myocarditis in humans. The 3.78-angstrom resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure shows remarkable features, including an extended VP1 C terminus, forming a major protuberance on the outer surface of the virus, and a basic motif at the N terminus of VP3, binding to which orders some 12% of the viral genome. This apparently charge-driven RNA attachment suggests that this branch of the picornaviruses uses a different mechanism of genome encapsidation, perhaps explored early in the evolution of picornaviruses.

Wang, XiangxiChinese Academy of Science, China (author)
Ren, JingshanUniversity of Oxford, UK (author)
Porta, ClaudineUniversity of Oxford, UK ; The Pirbright Institute, UK (author)
Wenham, HannahThe Pirbright Institute, UK (author)
Ekström, Jens-OlaLinnéuniversitetet,Institutionen för kemi och biomedicin (KOB) (author)
Panjwani, AnushaThe Pirbright Institute, UK (author)
Knowles, Nick J.The Pirbright Institute, UK (author)
Kotecha, AbhayUniversity of Oxford, UK (author)
Siebert, C. AlistairUniversity of Oxford, UK (author)
Lindberg, A. MichaelLinnéuniversitetet,Institutionen för kemi och biomedicin (KOB)(Swepub:lnu)nlimi (author)
Fry, Elizabeth E.University of Oxford, UK (author)
Rao, ZiheChinese Academy of Science, China ; Tsinghua University, China (author)
Tuthill, Tobias J.The Pirbright Institute, UK (author)
Stuart, David I.University of Oxford, UK ; Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, UK (author)
University of Oxford, UK ; The Pirbright Institute, UKChinese Academy of Science, China (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: Zhu, Ling; Wang, Xiangxi; Ren, Jingshan; Porta, Claudine; Wenham, Hannah; Ekström, Jens-Ol ...; show more...; Panjwani, Anusha; Knowles, Nick J.; Kotecha, Abhay; Siebert, C. Alis ...; Lindberg, A. Mic ...; Fry, Elizabeth E ...; Rao, Zihe; Tuthill, Tobias ...; Stuart, David I.; show less...

About the subject

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Biological Scien ...; and Microbiology

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