Repository logo
 

Liquid–liquid phase separation underpins the formation of replication factories in rotaviruses

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Geiger, Florian 
Wang, Xinyu 

Abstract

Abstract: RNA viruses induce the formation of subcellular organelles that provide microenvironments conducive to their replication. Here we show that replication factories of rotaviruses represent protein‐RNA condensates that are formed via liquid–liquid phase separation of the viroplasm‐forming proteins NSP5 and rotavirus RNA chaperone NSP2. Upon mixing, these proteins readily form condensates at physiologically relevant low micromolar concentrations achieved in the cytoplasm of virus‐infected cells. Early infection stage condensates could be reversibly dissolved by 1,6‐hexanediol, as well as propylene glycol that released rotavirus transcripts from these condensates. During the early stages of infection, propylene glycol treatments reduced viral replication and phosphorylation of the condensate‐forming protein NSP5. During late infection, these condensates exhibited altered material properties and became resistant to propylene glycol, coinciding with hyperphosphorylation of NSP5. Some aspects of the assembly of cytoplasmic rotavirus replication factories mirror the formation of other ribonucleoprotein granules. Such viral RNA‐rich condensates that support replication of multi‐segmented genomes represent an attractive target for developing novel therapeutic approaches.

Description

Funder: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG); Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

Keywords

EMBO23, EMBO40, Article, Articles, biomolecular condensates, microfluidics, RNP granules, viral genome assembly

Journal Title

The EMBO Journal

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0261-4189
1460-2075

Volume Title

Publisher