small RNA methods
Recorded terms: synthetic 5-prime triphosphate RNA chemistry; synthetic modified RNA mimetics
Influenza A virus small viral RNAs are shown to be synthesized from the complementary RNA intermediate, to load into the RNA binding cleft of the polymerase PA subunit, and to act there as segment-specific allosteric enhancers of full-length genome synthesis.
Poxviruses degrade host microRNAs through the catalytic subunit of their own poly(A) polymerase, VP55, which adds short nontemplated adenosine tails to argonaute-loaded guide strands and thereby marks them for cellular decay, while small RNAs carrying a 3 prime terminal 2 prime O-methyl group are spared.