Interactions between retrotransposon and RNA viruses

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K08496
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Virology
• Research Institution: Osaka University (2016-2017); Kyoto University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: Honda Tomoyuki 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 准教授 (80402676)
• Research Collaborator: SOFUKU Kozue ; NAKAYAMA Ryota ; NISHIKAWA Yuki
• Project Period (FY): 2015-10-21 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: レトロトランスポゾン / RNAウイルス / ボルナ病ウイルス / 感染防御機構 / 内在性ウイルス配列 / piRNA / B型肝炎ウイルス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The sequence of Borna disease virus (BDV) is reverse transcribed and integrated into the host genome. It is thought that this reaction is regulated by the interaction between BDV and LINE (long interspersed nuclear element), a host retrotransposon. However, the physiological significance of this phenomenon and the physiological function of LINE itself were still unknown. In this study, we elucidated the interaction between virus and LINE and the physiological significance of virus-derived sequences in the genome generated by the virus-retrotransposon interaction. We found that BDV infection indeed affects LINE activity, that BDV-related sequences in the mouse genome (mmEBLs) produce mmEBL-derived piRNAs, and that the mmEBL-derived piRNAs suppress mRNA with BDV-related sequences. From these results, we have proposed that LINE promotes the uptake of viral sequences into the host genome and imparts virus resistance to the host.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学