How do RNA viruses select which RNA to package? The plant virus experience

Peyret, Hadrien; Shah, Sachin N.; Meshcheriakova, Yulia; Saunders, Keith; Lomonossoff, George P.

Abstract

The process whereby viral RNA is specifically selected for packaging within viral particles has been extensively studied over many years. As a result, two broad hypotheses have emerged to explain this specificity, though these are not mutually exclusive. The first proposes that the viral RNA contains specific sequences or “packaging signals” that enable it to be recognised from a mixture of RNAs within an infected cell. The second suggests that there is a functional coupling between RNA replication and packaging that leads to only replicating, viral RNA being packaged. This review is aimed at analysing the evidence for the two hypotheses from both in vitro and in vivo studies on positive-strand RNA plant viruses. Overall, it seems probable that the selectivity of packaging results from replication of the viral RNAs rather than the presence of any specific RNA sequence. However, it is also likely that the presence of packaging signals with high affinity for the viral coat protein is involved in the efficient incorporation of RNA into particles, thereby favouring the correct assembly of fully formed and infectious particles.

Citation

Peyret, H., Shah, S. N., Meshcheriakova, Y., Saunders, K., & Lomonossoff, G. P. (2025). How do RNA viruses select which RNA to package? The plant virus experience. Virology, 604, Article 110435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2025.110435

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 23, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Jan 28, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-03
• Deposit Date: Feb 5, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 7, 2025
• Journal: Virology
• Print ISSN: 0042-6822
• Electronic ISSN: 0042-6822
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 604
• Article Number: 110435
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2025.110435
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/45039269
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042682225000479