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Structure and function of cis ‐acting RNA elements of flavivirus
Author(s) -
Liu ZhongYu,
Qin ChengFeng
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
reviews in medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.06
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1654
pISSN - 1052-9276
DOI - 10.1002/rmv.2092
Subject(s) - flavivirus , biology , virology , rna , genome , zika virus , dengue virus , genetics , phylogenetic tree , untranslated region , virus , evolutionary biology , gene
Summary The genus Flavivirus is a group of single‐stranded, positive‐sense RNA viruses that includes numerous human pathogens with global impact, such as dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus (YFV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Zika virus (ZIKV). The approximately 11‐kilobase genome is flanked by highly structured untranslated regions (UTRs), which contain various cis ‐acting RNA elements with unique structures and functions. Moreover, local RNA elements circularize the genome non‐covalently through long‐range interactions. Interestingly, many flavivirus cis ‐acting RNA elements contain group‐specific motifs or are specific for the given phylogenetic groups, suggesting their potential association with flavivirus evolution and diversification. In this review, we summarize recent advances about the structure and function of cis ‐acting RNA elements in flavivirus genomes and highlight the potential implications for flavivirus evolution. Finally, the scientific questions remained to be answered in the field are also discussed.