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Authentic Borna disease virus transcripts are spliced less efficiently than cDNA-derived viral RNAs
Christian Jehle1, W Ian Lipkin2, Peter Staeheli1
1Department of Virologie, Institute for Medical Microbiology & Hygiene, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder Str. 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany1.
The Journal of General Virology
|July 19, 2000
Summary
Borna disease virus (BDV) RNA splicing is inefficient in infected cells, unlike in transfected cells. Viral proteins do not regulate this splicing, suggesting it is linked to viral transcription.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- RNA Splicing
Background:
- Borna disease virus (BDV) is a negative-strand RNA virus replicating in the host cell nucleus.
- BDV transcripts undergo alternative splicing, generating various mRNA molecules.
- The regulation of BDV RNA splicing by viral factors remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether viral factors regulate the splicing of Borna disease virus transcripts.
- To compare the splicing patterns of BDV RNA in infected cells versus transfected cells.
Main Methods:
- Studying RNA splicing in BDV-infected cells.
- Analyzing splicing of BDV 2.8 kb RNA in COS-7 cells transiently transfected with BDV plasmids.
- Assessing the impact of co-expressing BDV proteins (P, N, X) on RNA splicing.
Main Results:
- Unspliced BDV RNA was the predominant species in infected cells.
- Plasmid-derived BDV RNA showed predominantly single and double splicing.
- Co-expression of BDV proteins P, N, and X did not alter splicing efficiency.
- Expressing BDV RNA in infected cells did not change its splicing pattern.
Conclusions:
- Splicing of authentic BDV transcripts is inefficient in infected cells.
- Viral proteins do not appear to regulate BDV RNA splicing.
- BDV RNA splicing is likely tightly coupled with viral transcription by the viral polymerase.