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Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes: A Functional Genomics Tool for the Study of Positive-strand RNA Viruses
Published on: December 29, 2015
A novel viral RNA helicase with an independent translation enhancement activity
Ambily Abraham1, Handanahal S Savithri1
1Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Abstract:
RNA helicases have not been identified among negative sense RNA viruses. In this study, it is shown that Nonstructural protein (NSs) of Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV) acts as a Mg(2+) - and ATP-dependent bipolar RNA helicase. Biophysical and biochemical analysis of the deletion mutants (NΔ124 NSs, CΔ80 NSs) revealed that both the N- and C-terminal residues are required for substrate binding, oligomerization and helicase activity, but are dispensable for ATPase activity. Interestingly, NSs could enhance the translation of RNA (~ 10-fold) independent of its helicase activity. This is the first report of a RNA helicase from negative strand RNA viruses.
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