The Pospiviroidae[1] are a incertae sedis family of ssRNA viroids with 5 genera and 39 species, including the first viroid to be discovered, PSTVd, which is part of genus Pospiviroid.[2] Their secondary structure is key to their biological activity. The classification of this family is based on differences in the conserved central region sequence.[3] Pospiviroidae replication occurs in an asymmetric fashion via host cell RNA polymerase, RNase, and RNA ligase. Its hosts are plants, specifically dicotyledons and some monocotyledons.
Pospiviroidae | |
---|---|
Virus classification | |
(unranked): | Viroid |
Family: | Pospiviroidae |
Genera | |
Members of the family Pospiviroidae have circular ssRNA of 246–375 nt. They assume rod-like or quasi-rod-like conformations containing a central conserved region (CCR) and a terminal conserved hairpin (TCH) or a terminal conserved region (TCR). The genome of viroids does not encode any proteins.[4]
Its replication is nuclear and mediated by DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II, which is redirected to use RNA templates through an asymmetric RNA–RNA rolling-circle mechanism. (+) polarity circRNA molecules (by convention the most abundant strand in vivo) are repeatedly transcribed into oligomeric complementary (−) RNAs. Such intermediates serve as templates for generating oligomeric (+) RNAs that are cleaved by a host enzyme of the RNase III class. The termini of the resulting linear monomers are ligated by the host DNA ligase 1 to generate the mature circular viroid RNA.[4]