Authors
Sumiho Nakatsu, Shin Murakami, Keiko Shindo, Taisuke Horimoto, Hiroshi Sagara, Takeshi Noda*, and Yoshihiro Kawaoka*.
* Corresponding Authors

Abstract

Influenza A and B viruses have eight-segmented, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genomes, whereas influenza C and D viruses have seven-segmented genomes. Each genomic RNA segment exists in the form of a ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP) in association with nucleoproteins and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in virions. Influenza D virus was recently isolated from swine and cattle, but its morphology is not fully studied. Here, we examined the morphological characteristics of D/bovine/Yamagata/10710/2016 (D/Yamagata) and C/Ann Arbor/50 (C/AA), focusing on RNPs packaged within the virions. By scanning transmission electron microscopic tomography, we found that more than 70% of D/Yamagata and C/AA virions packaged eight RNPs arranged in the “1+7” pattern as observed in influenza A and B viruses, even though type C and D virus genomes are segmented into only seven segments. These results imply that influenza viruses generally package eight RNPs arranged in the “1+7” pattern regardless of the number of RNA segments in their genome.

Paper Information

Journal
: Journal of Virology
DOI
: 10.1128/JVI.02084-17
: http://jvi.asm.org/content/early/2018/01/05/JVI.02084-17.abstract