Structures and Mechanisms of Nonsegmented, Negative-Strand RNA Virus Polymerases

Negative-strand RNA viruses are a diverse group of animal viruses that include a number of significant human diseases. Negative-strand RNA viruses with segmented or non-segmented genomes are to blame for a variety of serious viral illnesses. The sequence of the negative strand of RNA is complementary to that of the coding strand. Therefore, when entering the host cell, viruses carrying this genome must produce the corresponding plus strand. Recent and upcoming disease management approaches include siRNA (silencing RNA) technology to target viral genes, novel drug delivery approaches to improve the efficacy of previously approved FDA drugs, and the acquisition of novel approaches to developing host immunity against these viral diseases by primarily targeting viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases.
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