Structural highlights
Publication Abstract from PubMed
The transcription of ebolavirus (EBOV) genomes is a major checkpoint in the viral life cycle. Altering the transcription regulatory signal (TRS), an RNA hairpin that forms in the 3' leader sequence of EBOV, affects transcription in a VP30-dependent manner. How this mechanistically occurs is currently unknown. Here, we find that the TRS primarily equilibrates between two structures that differ in their loops. Mutational studies demonstrate that the entire hairpin structure is important in directing both VP30 binding and regulating EBOV transcriptional activity, with the loop being the principal structural element. In doing so, we highlight that the TRS structure is a critical determinant of EBOV transcription.
The Ebolavirus Transcription Regulatory Signal Equilibrates Between Two Structural Conformations to Affect VP30 Binding.,Edwards JM, Kachale A, McCleery SR, Law GA, Patel V, D'Souza VM, Pham VV J Mol Biol. 2025 Sep 25;437(24):169464. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2025.169464. PMID:41015113[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Edwards JM, Kachale A, McCleery SR, Law GA, Patel V, D'Souza VM, Pham VV. The Ebolavirus Transcription Regulatory Signal Equilibrates Between Two Structural Conformations to Affect VP30 Binding. J Mol Biol. 2025 Sep 25;437(24):169464. PMID:41015113 doi:10.1016/j.jmb.2025.169464