rna structural elements of hepatitis c virus controlling viral rna translation and the implications for viral pathogenesis丙型肝炎病毒的rna结构元素控制病毒rna翻译和病毒发病机理的影响.pdfVIP

Viruses 2012, 4, 2233-2250; doi:10.3390/v4102233 OPEN ACCESS viruses ISSN 1999-4915 /journal/viruses Review RNA Structural Elements of Hepatitis C Virus Controlling Viral RNA Translation and the Implications for Viral Pathogenesis David Piñeiro and Encarnación Martinez-Salas * Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Nicolas Cabrera, 1, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; E-Mail: dpineiro@cbm.uam.es * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: emartinez@cbm.uam.es; Tel.: +34-91-196461; Fax +34-91-1964420. Received: 27 August 2012; in revised form: 26 September 2012 / Accepted: 1 October 2012 / Published: 19 October 2012 Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome multiplication requires the concerted action of the viral RNA, host factors and viral proteins. Recent studies have provided information about the requirement of specific viral RNA motifs that play an active role in the viral life cycle. RNA regulatory motifs controlling translation and replication of the viral RNA are mostly found at the 5 and 3 untranslated regions (UTRs). In particular, viral protein synthesis is under the control of the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element, a complex RNA structure located at the 5UTR that recruits the ribosomal subunits to the initiator codon. Accordingly, interfering with this RNA structural motif causes the abrogation of the viral cycle. In addition, RNA translation initiation is modulated by cellular factors