AUTHOR=Bradrick Shelton S. 

TITLE=Causes and Consequences of Flavivirus RNA Methylation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2017

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02374

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.02374

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=Mosquito-borne flaviviruses are important human pathogens that represent global threats to human health. The genomes of these positive-strand RNA viruses have been shown to be substrates of both viral and cellular methyltransferases. N7-methylation of the 5′ cap structure is essential for infection whereas 2′-O-methylation of the penultimate nucleotide is required for evasion of host innate immunity. N6-methylation of internal adenosine nucleotides has also been shown to impact flavivirus infection. Here, I summarize recent progress made in understanding roles for methylation in the flavivirus life-cycle and discuss relevant emerging hypotheses.