An Ago2-associated capped transcriptional start site small RNA suppresses adenovirus DNA replication.

Wael Kamel, Göran Akusjärvi

RNA (New York, N.Y.) 2017 Nov

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Here we show that the adenovirus major late promoter produces a 31-nucleotide transcriptional start site small RNA (MLP-TSS-sRNA) that retains the 7-methylguanosine (m7G)-cap and is incorporated onto Ago2-containing RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISC) in human adenovirus-37 infected cells. RNA polymerase II CLIP (UV-cross linking immunoprecipitation) experiments suggest that the MLP-TSS-sRNA is produced by promoter proximal stalling/termination of RNA polymerase II transcription at the site of the small RNA 3' end. The MLP-TSS-sRNA is highly stable in cells and functionally active, down-regulating complementary targets in a sequence and dose-dependent manner. The MLP-TSS-sRNA is transcribed from the opposite strand to the adenoviral DNA polymerase and preterminal protein mRNAs, two essential viral replication proteins. We show that the MLP-TSS-sRNA act in trans to reduce DNA polymerase and preterminal protein mRNA expression. As a consequence of this, the MLP-TSS-sRNA has an inhibitory effect on the efficiency of viral DNA replication. Collectively, our results suggest that this novel sRNA may serve a regulatory function controlling viral genome replication during a lytic and/or persistent adenovirus infection in its natural host. © 2017 Kamel and Akusjärvi; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

Citation

Wael Kamel, Göran Akusjärvi. An Ago2-associated capped transcriptional start site small RNA suppresses adenovirus DNA replication. RNA (New York, N.Y.). 2017 Nov;23(11):1700-1711