RNA Structure-A Neglected Puppet Master for the Evolution of Virus and Host Immunity.

Julia C. Kenyon,Redmond P. Smyth,Andrew M. Lever,Johnson Mak,Matteo Negroni

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.02097

Abstract

The central dogma of molecular biology describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to protein via an RNA intermediate. For many years, RNA has been considered simply as a messenger relaying information between DNA and proteins. Recent advances in next generation sequencing technology, bioinformatics, and non-coding RNA biology have highlighted the many important roles of RNA in virtually every biological process. Our understanding of RNA biology has been further enriched by a number of significant advances in probing RNA structures. It is now appreciated that many cellular and viral biological processes are highly dependent on specific RNA structures and/or sequences, and such reliance will undoubtedly impact on the evolution of both hosts and viruses. As a contribution to this special issue on host immunity and virus evolution, it is timely to consider how RNA sequences and structures could directly influence the co-evolution between hosts and viruses. In this manuscript, we begin by stating some of the basic principles of RNA structures, followed by describing some of the critical RNA structures in both viruses and hosts. More importantly, we highlight a number of available new tools to predict and to evaluate novel RNA structures, pointing out some of the limitations readers should be aware of in their own analyses.

Highlights

Mutation rates of viral genomes are extremely high when compared with those of eukaryotic cells; RNA virus polymerases typically possess error rates of 10−4 to 10−6 per base [1]
As for proteins, single nucleotide mutations can alter the three-dimensional structure of the RNA, with corresponding deleterious or positive effects on its function; RNA structures are substrates for, and drivers of, viral evolution
RNA viruses with segmented genomes can undergo reassortment, leading to the exchange of entire gene segments, potentially giving rise to new viral strains to which humans have no previous immunity

Summary

Introduction

Mutation rates of viral genomes are extremely high when compared with those of eukaryotic cells; RNA virus polymerases typically possess error rates of 10−4 to 10−6 per base [1]. RNA Structure in Viral and Host Evolution our understanding of the functions of RNA, leads us to consider instead the role of RNA itself in driving the evolution of viruses and of human immunity.

Results

Conclusion