Arenavirus

Arenavirus genome includes two ambisense RNA segments that encode only four viral proteins: the envelope glycoprotein precursor, nucle-ocapsid protein, matrix zinc-binding (Z) protein and the large (L) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The L protein is a multi-domain machinery with both transcription and replication activities. Similar to other segmented negative-sense RNA viruses (sNSVs), the replication of arenavirus genome is de novo initiated and involves a complementary RNA (cRNA) intermediate, whereas the transcription process presumably requires a host mRNA-derived primer captured by the viral polymerase through cap snatching.

Arenaviruses can cause severe haemorrhagic fever and neurological diseases in humans and other animals, exemplified by Lassa mammarenavirus, Machupo mammarenavirus and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, posing great threats to public health. These viruses encode a large multi-domain RNA-dependent RNA polymerase for transcription and replication of the viral genome. Viral polymerases are one of the leading antiviral therapeutic targets.