Abstract
The influenza A virus genome is composed of eight single-stranded negative-sense RNAs. Eight distinct viral RNA segments (vRNAs) are selectively packaged into progeny virions, with eight vRNAs in ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) arranged in a specific “1+7” pattern, that is, one central RNP surrounded by seven RNPs. Here we report the genome packaging of an artificially generated seven-segment virus that lacks the hemagglutinin (HA) vRNA. Electron microscopy shows that, even in the presence of only seven vRNAs, the virions efficiently package eight RNPs arranged in the same “1+7” pattern as wild-type virions. Next-generation sequencing reveals that the virions specifically incorporate host-derived 18S and 28S ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) seemingly as the eighth RNP in place of the HA vRNA. These findings highlight the importance of the assembly of eight RNPs into a specific “1+7” configuration for genome packaging in progeny virions and suggest a potential role for cellular RNAs in viral genome packaging.
Highlights
The influenza A virus genome is composed of eight single-stranded negative-sense RNAs
We have shown that a seven-segment virus that lacks HA viral RNA segments (vRNAs), and possesses only seven distinct vRNAs, efficiently packages host-derived ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) as an eighth ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs), resulting in the incorporation of eight well-organized RNPs into progeny virions in the same fashion as wild-type viruses
These results suggest that the assembly of eight RNPs into the specific “1+7” configuration may serve some mechanistic purpose during the genome packaging of influenza A viruses
Summary
The influenza A virus genome is composed of eight single-stranded negative-sense RNAs. Next-generation sequencing reveals that the virions incorporate host-derived 18S and 28S ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) seemingly as the eighth RNP in place of the HA vRNA These findings highlight the importance of the assembly of eight RNPs into a specific “1+7” configuration for genome packaging in progeny virions and suggest a potential role for cellular RNAs in viral genome packaging. Electron microscopy (EM) analyses show that progeny virions incorporate eight ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) arranged in a specific “1+7” pattern, with a central RNP surrounded by the remaining seven RNPs5,19–22 Taken together, these studies demonstrate that an influenza A virus tends to selectively package eight distinct RNPs arranged in a “1+7” pattern. Our findings suggest the importance of the “1+7” configuration of eight RNPs for the viral genome packaging
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