Influenza virus segment 5 (+) RNA - secondary structure and new targets for antiviral strategies

Influenza A virus is a threat for humans due to seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. This virus can generate new strains that are dangerous through nucleotide/amino acid changes or through segmental recombination of the viral RNA genome. It is important to gain wider knowledge about influenza virus RNA to create new strategies for drugs that will inhibit its spread. Here, we present the experimentally determined secondary structure of the influenza segment 5 (+) RNA. Two RNAs were studied: the full-length segment 5 (+) RNA and a shorter construct containing only the coding region. Chemical mapping data combined with thermodynamic energy minimization were used in secondary structure prediction. Sequence/structure analysis showed that the determined secondary structure of segment 5 (+) RNA is mostly conserved between influenza virus type A strains. Microarray mapping and RNase H cleavage identified accessible sites for oligonucleotides in the revealed secondary structure of segment 5 (+) RNA. Antisense oligonucleotides were designed based on the secondary structure model and tested against influenza virus in cell culture. Inhibition of influenza virus proliferation was noticed, identifying good targets for antisense strategies. Effective target sites fall within two domains, which are conserved in sequence/structure indicating their importance to the virus.