RNA structure interactions and ribonucleoprotein processes of the influenza A virus

Dawson, Wayne K; Lazniewski, Michal; Plewczynski, Dariusz

Here, we briefly review topics heavily associated with RNA in the IAV, particularly our current knowledge on how the IAV genome is packaged, how the RNA interacts with proteins, what protein products are generated from alternative splicing in the IAV genome and our present knowledge of RNA structure. We also summarize our current understanding of the infection cycle with a focus on how the viral RNA (vRNA) sequences manage to enter the nucleus of the cell, carry out the transcription and replication process and export of the viral genetic material from the nucleus before the final budding and release of the virion. Finally, considering more than one virion can infect a given cell at the same time, it is also possible to shuffle segments between different viral strains in a process known as reassortment. We discuss briefly on the recent discoveries of RNA/RNA interactions between the vRNA segments that help in the packaging of the viral genome. Such interactions would have implications on the likelihood of such reassortment events.