Promising new inhibitors that target the viral helicase-primase complex have been reported to block replication of herpes simplex and varicella-zoster viruses, but they have no activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), another herpesvirus. The HCMV helicase-primase complex (pUL105-pUL102-pUL70) is essential for viral DNA replication and could thus be a relevant antiviral target. The roles of the individual subunits composing this complex remain to be defined. By using sequence alignment of herpesviruses homologs, we identified conserved amino acids in the putative pUL105 ATP binding site and in the putative pUL70 zinc finger pattern. Mutational analysis of several of these amino acids both in pUL105 and pUL70, proved that they are crucial for viral replication. We also constructed, by homology modeling, a theoretical structure of the pUL105 N-terminal domain which indicates that the mutated conserved amino acids in this domain could be involved in ATP hydrolysis.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6205958PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02483DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

amino acids
16
helicase-primase complex
12
essential viral
8
viral replication
8
hcmv helicase-primase
8
conserved amino
8
identification amino
4
acids
4
acids essential
4
viral
4

Similar Publications

Microbial activity in the deep continental subsurface is difficult to measure due to low cell densities, low energy fluxes, cryptic elemental cycles and enigmatic metabolisms. Nonetheless, direct access to rare sample sites and sensitive laboratory measurements can be used to better understand the variables that govern microbial life underground. In this study, we sampled fluids from six boreholes at depths ranging from 244 m to 1,478 m below ground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), a former goldmine in South Dakota, United States.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Crop rotation of tobacco with other crops could effectively break the negative impact of continuous tobacco cropping, but the mechanisms of intercropping system effects on tobacco, especially on the rhizosphere, are not clear.

Methods: In this study, we investigated the impact of intercropping system on the diversity and function of tobacco metabolites and microorganisms through metabolomic and metagenomic analyses of the tobacco rhizosphere microenvironment intercropped with maize and soybean.

Results: The results showed that the contents of huperzine b, chlorobenzene, and P-chlorophenylalanine in tobacco rhizosphere soils differed significantly among soybean-tobacco and maize-tobacco intercropping system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The 26S proteasome complex is the hub for regulated protein degradation in the cell. It is composed of two biochemically distinct complexes: the 20S core particle with proteolytic active sites in an internal chamber and the 19S regulatory particle, consisting of a lid and base subcomplex. The base contains ubiquitin receptors and an AAA+ (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) motor that unfolds substrates prior to degradation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: The reflexive translation of symbols in one chemical language to another defined genetics. Yet, the co-linearity of codons and amino acids is so commonplace an idea that few even ask how it arose. Readout is done by two distinct sets of proteins, called aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AARS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cystine/cysteine is critical for antioxidant response and sulfur metabolism in cancer cells and is one of the most depleted amino acids in the PDAC microenvironment. The effects of cystine limitation stress (CLS) on PDAC progression are poorly understood. Here we report that adaptation to CLS (CLSA) promotes PDAC cell proliferation and tumor growth through translational upregulation of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OxPPP).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!