The mechanism of genome replication and transcription in bunyaviruses

Bunyaviruses are negative-strand RNA viruses that have an envelope and segments. The virion structure is relatively simple, consisting of a nucleocapsid (N) protein and two transmembrane glycoproteins (Gn and Gc). The Bunyavirales is currently split into fourteen virus families, including Peribunyaviridae, Phenuiviridae, Nairoviridae, Hantaviridae, Tospoviridae, and Arenaviridae. The virion also contains RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L polymerase). Bunyaviruses undergo a replication cycle similar to other negative-strand RNA viruses. Many structures of bunyavirus L proteins have been solved in recent years, thanks to advancements in cryogenic electron microscopy technology. These structures greatly improve our mechanistic understanding of bunyavirus genome replication and transcription processes, as well as highlighting differences and similarities among bunyavirus L proteins from various families. The characterization of the structure and function of the L protein has advanced significantly in recent years, providing new information on the complex biological processes underlying transcription and replication of the bunyavirus genome. The emergence of these novel structural data indicates a new era in bunyavirus research, where structural data or structure predictions may enhance functional investigations on transcription and genome replication.
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