Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Poly(A) tails are present on most cellular and viral mRNAs, providing a platform for poly(A)-binding proteins that stimulate translation and regulate the deadenylation and stability of transcripts in the cytoplasm. Here we leverage nanopore direct RNA sequencing to analyse the distribution of poly(A) tail lengths on cellular and viral mRNAs across Herpesviridae and other DNA and RNA virus infections. We find that herpesvirus mRNA poly(A) tails are consistently longer than those on cellular and other viral transcripts, presenting a previously unrecognized yet widespread mechanism to advantage herpesviral gene expression. This contrasts with the templated poly(A) tails on coronavirus RNAs and those on cytoplasmically transcribed poxviral mRNAs, which are more similar in length to those on host mRNAs. Herpesviral noncoding RNAs display differential poly(A) tailing patterns which do not correlate with nuclear localisation while individual herpesviral mRNAs also show variation in the extent to which their poly(A) tail lengths change during the virus lifecycle, suggestive of additional uncharacterised layers of poly(A) tail length regulation. Importantly, while we detect non-adenosine nucleotides within herpesviral poly(A) tails, which are known to oppose deadenylase activity, this "mixed tailing" is not at sufficient frequency to explain the widespread extended tails of herpesvirus mRNAs.
Source: PLoS Pathogens
Authors: Erik Fuhrmann, Sae Toda, Jonas Leins, Pierina Cetraro, Vedang Deshpande, Jasmine Rowell, Edward A. Chapman, Carina Jacobsen, Kai A. Kropp, Mart M. Lamers, Elene Loliashvili, Mostafa Saleban, Ruth Verstraten, Carolin Vogt, Wiyada Wongwiwat, Werner J. D. Ouwendijk, Abel Viejo-Borbolla, Robert E. White, Angus C. Wilson, Hannah M. Burgess, Daniel P. Depledge
Language: English
Topic: RNA Research and Splicing
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,043
Funders: Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Academy of Medical Sciences, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Erasmus Medisch Centrum, Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover, National Institutes of Health, Medical Research Council, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Awards: G2813932001, G304576011, G3087929823, SFB 900: Chronische Infektionen: Mikrobielle Persistenz und ihre Kontrolle, G3529164737, G3631913771, Strukturelle und funktionelle Charakterisierung der Chemokinverstärkenden Aktivität des Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) Glykoproteins C, G4088248013, EXC 2155: RESIST Resolving Infection Susceptibility, G4970072701, G4979014658, G5186833673, G5395241317, G585342539, G6309922372, G6460532647, Interplay between nuclear stress responses and herpesvirus latency, How do Speckled proteins counteract infection by DNA viruses?, Viral disruption of host transcriptome integrity
OpenAlex ID: W4417414717