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Identification and characterisation of common glow-worm RNA viruses.

ABSTRACT: The common glow-worms (Lampyris noctiluca) are best known for emission of green light by their larvae and sexually active adult females. However, both their DNA and RNA viruses remain unknown. Glow-worms are virologically interesting, as they are non-social and do not feed as adults, and hence their viral transmission may be limited. We identified viral sequences from 11 different virus taxa by the RNA-sequencing of two Finnish populations of adult glow-worms. The viruses represent nine different virus families and have negative, positive, or double-stranded RNA genomes. We also found a complete retroviral genome. Similar viral sequences were found from the sequencing data of common eastern firefly of North America, a species belonging to the same family (Lampyridae) as that of the common glow-worm. On average, an individual glow-worm had seven different RNA virus types and most of them appeared to establish a stable infection since they were found from glow-worms during two consecutive years. Here we present the characterization of load, prevalence, and interactions for each virus. Most of the glow-worm RNA viruses seem to be transmitted vertically, which may reflect the biology of glow-worms as non-social capital breeders, i.e., they invest stored resources in reproduction.

SUBMITTER: Viljakainen L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7093385 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Identification and characterisation of common glow-worm RNA viruses.

Viljakainen Lumi L Borshagovski Anna-Maria AM Saarenpää Sami S Kaitala Arja A Jurvansuu Jaana J

Virus genes 20200103 2

The common glow-worms (Lampyris noctiluca) are best known for emission of green light by their larvae and sexually active adult females. However, both their DNA and RNA viruses remain unknown. Glow-worms are virologically interesting, as they are non-social and do not feed as adults, and hence their viral transmission may be limited. We identified viral sequences from 11 different virus taxa by the RNA-sequencing of two Finnish populations of adult glow-worms. The viruses represent nine differen ...[more]

PMID: 31900852

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Project description:The nucleocapsid of a negative-strand RNA virus is assembled with a single nucleocapsid protein and the viral genomic RNA. The nucleocapsid protein polymerizes along the length of the single-strand genomic RNA (viral RNA) or its cRNA. This process of encapsidation occurs concomitantly with genomic replication. Structural comparisons of several nucleocapsid-like particles show that the mechanism of RNA encapsidation in negative-strand RNA viruses has many common features. Fundamentally, there is a unifying mechanism to keep the capsid protein protomer monomeric prior to encapsidation of viral RNA. In the nucleocapsid, there is a cavity between two globular domains of the nucleocapsid protein where the viral RNA is sequestered. The viral RNA must be transiently released from the nucleocapsid in order to reveal the template RNA sequence for transcription/replication. There are cross-molecular interactions among the protein subunits linearly along the nucleocapsid to stabilize its structure. Empty capsids can form in the absence of RNA. The common characteristics of RNA encapsidation not only delineate the evolutionary relationship of negative-strand RNA viruses but also provide insights into their mechanism of replication.What separates negative-strand RNA viruses (NSVs) from the rest of the virosphere is that the nucleocapsid of NSVs serves as the template for viral RNA synthesis. Their viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase can induce local conformational changes in the nucleocapsid to temporarily release the RNA genome so that the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase can use it as the template for RNA synthesis during both transcription and replication. After RNA synthesis at the local region is completed, the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase processes downstream, and the RNA genome is restored in the nucleocapsid. We found that the nucleocapsid assembly of all NSVs shares three essential elements: a monomeric capsid protein protomer, parallel orientation of subunits in the linear nucleocapsid, and a (5H + 3H) motif that forms a proper cavity for sequestration of the RNA. This observation also suggests that all NSVs evolved from a common ancestor that has this unique nucleocapsid.

Dataset Information

Identification and characterisation of common glow-worm RNA viruses.

Publications

Identification and characterisation of common glow-worm RNA viruses.

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