Visualizing the Nucleotide Addition Cycle of Viral RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase

Viruses. 2018 Jan 4;10(1):24. doi: 10.3390/v10010024.

Abstract

Viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) are a class of nucleic acid polymerases bearing unique features from global architecture to catalytic mechanisms. In recent years, numerous viral RdRP crystal structures have improved the understanding of these molecular machines, in particular, for how they carry out each nucleotide addition cycle (NAC) as directed by the RNA template. This review focuses on a visual introduction of viral RdRP NAC mechanisms through a combination of static pictures of structural models, a user-friendly software-based assembly of the structural models, and two videos illustrating key conformational changes in the NAC.

Keywords: RNA viruses; RNA-dependent RNA polymerase; active site closure; nucleotide addition cycle; translocation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nucleotides / chemistry
  • Nucleotides / metabolism*
  • RNA, Viral / biosynthesis*
  • RNA, Viral / chemistry
  • RNA, Viral / genetics*
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / chemistry
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / metabolism*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Nucleotides
  • RNA, Viral
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase