Affiliation:
1. Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
2. Codagenix Inc., Farmingdale, New York, USA
Abstract
Members of the genus
Flavivirus
of
Flaviviridae
are important human pathogens of great concern because they cause serious diseases, sometimes death, in human populations living in tropical, subtropical (dengue virus [DENV], Zika virus [ZIKV], and yellow fever virus), or moderate climates (West Nile virus). Flaviviruses are known to control their translation by a cap-dependent mechanism. We have observed, however, that the uncapped genomes of DENV or ZIKV can initiate infection of mammalian and insect cells. We provide evidence that the short 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) of DENV or ZIKV genomes can fulfill the function of an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). This strategy frees these organisms from the cap-dependent mechanism of gene expression at an as yet unknown stage of proliferation. The data raise new questions about the biology and evolution of flaviviruses, possibly leading to new controls of flavivirus disease.
Funder
HHS | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Cited by
39 articles.
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