Identification of Pr78Gag Binding Sites on the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus genomic RNA packaging determinants
Open accessAbstract
How retroviral Gag proteins recognize the packaging signals (Psi) on their genomic RNA (gRNA) is a key question that we addressed here using Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV) as a model system by combining band-shift assays and footprinting experiments. Our data show that Pr78Gag selects gRNA against spliced viral RNA by simultaneously binding to two single stranded loops on the MPMV Psi RNA: (1) a large purine loop (ssPurines), and (2) a loop which partially overlaps with a mostly base-paired purine repeat (bpPurines) and extends into a GU-rich binding motif. Importantly, this second Gag binding site is located immediately downstream of the major splice donor (mSD) and is thus absent from the spliced viral RNAs. Identifying elements crucial for MPMV gRNA packaging should help in understanding not only the mechanism of virion assembly by retroviruses, but also facilitate construction of safer retroviral vectors for human gene therapy.
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Structural occlusions have been observed in spliced RNAs of MMTV, MPMV, and FIV.
“Such structural occlusions have recently been observed in spliced RNAs of MMTV, MPMV, and FIV”
From Beyond reverse transcription: molecular mechanisms and emerging paradigms in retroviral replication (2026) · cites this paper as Pitchai et al. 2021
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How retroviruses select their genomes
D'Souza, V., & Summers, M. F. (2005) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/nrmicro1210 · Cited by 339 · see citing works
Rhee, S. S., & Hunter, E. (1990) · Cell · doi:10.1016/0092-8674(90)90289-q · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Lever, A. M. L. (2007) · Advances in Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/s1054-3589(07)55001-5 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
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Pillai, V. N., Ali, L. M., Prabhu, S. G., Krishnan, A., Tariq, S., Mustafa, F., & Rizvi, T. A. (2023) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12892 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citationBeyond reverse transcription: molecular mechanisms and emerging paradigms in retroviral replication
Jehad, M. A., Ali, L. M., Pillai, V. N., Prabhu, S. G., Mustafa, F., & Rizvi, T. A. (2026) · FEMS Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1093/femsre/fuaf066 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Pitchai, F. N. N., Chameettachal, A., Vivet-Boudou, V., Ali, L. M., Pillai, V. N., Krishnan, A., Bernacchi, S., Mustafa, F., Marquet, R., & Rizvi, T. A.
- Affiliations
- United Arab Emirates University (AE)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Marquet, Roland
- Rizvi, Tahir A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Molecular Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-05
- Volume
- 433
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 166923
- ISSN
- 0022-2836 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3134340889
- Cited by
- 12
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 1.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Molecular Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- CNRS
- United Arab Emirates University (UPAR-31 M233)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › HIV Research and Treatment
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and Retrovirus Studies
- Keywords
- Mason-Pfizer monkey virus, Gag protein, genomic RNA packaging, packaging signal, RNA binding sites, viral assembly, retroviral vectors, gene therapy
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Base Sequence, Binding Sites, Guanine, Nucleic Acid Conformation, Papio, Protein Binding, Protein Conformation, RNA, Viral, Uracil, Signal Transduction, Gene Products, gag, Gene Expression Regulation, Viral, Mason-Pfizer monkey virus, Base Pairing, Protein Footprinting, Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay, Host-Pathogen Interactions
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