Using uniplex RT-PCR we screened honey bee colonies for the presence of several bee viruses, including black queen cell virus (BQCV), deformed wing virus (DWV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and sacbrood virus (SBV), and described the detection of mixed virus infections in bees from these colonies. We report for the first time that individual bees can harbor four viruses simultaneously. We also developed a multiplex RT-PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of multiple bee viruses. The feasibility and specificity of the multiplex RT-PCR assay suggests that this assay is an effective tool for simultaneous examination of mixed virus infections in bee colonies and would be useful for the diagnosis and surveillance of honey bee viral diseases in the field and laboratory. Phylogenetic analysis of putative helicase and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) encoded by viruses reveal that DWV and SBV fall into a same clade, whereas KBV and BQCV belong to a distinct lineage with other picorna-like viruses that infect plants, insects and vertebrates. Results from field surveys of these viruses indicate that mixed infections of BQCV, DWV, KBV, and SBV in the honey bee probably arise due to broad geographic distribution of viruses. Published by Elsevier Inc.

RNA is arguably the most functionally diverse biological macromolecule. In some cases a single discrete RNA sequence performs multiple roles and this can be conferred by a complex three-dimensional structure. This multifunctionality can also be driven or enhanced by the ability of a given RNA to assume different conformational (and therefore functional) states1. Despite its biological importance, a detailed structural understanding of the paradigm of RNA structure-driven multifunctionality is lacking. Examples to address this gap are found in single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses, a prototype being the tRNA-like structure (TLS) found at the 3′ end of the Turnip Yellow Mosaic Virus (TYMV). This TLS not only acts like a tRNA to drive aminoacylation of the viral genomic RNA (gRNA)2-4, but also interacts with other structures in the gRNA's 3′ untranslated region5, contains the promoter for negative strand synthesis, and influences several infection-critical processes6. This TLS RNA can provide a glimpse into the structural basis of RNA multifunctionality and plasticity, but for decades its high-resolution structure has remained elusive. Here, we present the crystal structure of the complete TYMV TLS to 2.0 Å resolution. Globally, the RNA adopts a shape that mimics tRNA, but it uses a very different set of intramolecular interactions to achieve this shape. These interactions also allow the TLS to readily switch conformations. In addition, the TLS structure is ‘two-faced’: one ‘face’ closely mimics tRNA and drives aminoacylation, the other ‘face’ diverges from tRNA and enables additional functionality. The TLS is thus structured to perform several functions and interact with diverse binding partners, and we demonstrate its ability to specifically bind to ribosomes.

RNA viruses co-opt the host cell's biological machinery, and their infection strategies often depend on specific structures in the viral genomic RNA. Examples are tRNA-like structures (TLSs), found at the 39 end of certain plant viral RNAs, which can use the cell's aminoacyl tRNA-synthetases (AARSs) to drive addition of an amino acid to the 39 end of the viral RNA. TLSs are multifunctional RNAs involved in processes such as viral replication, translation, and viral RNA stability; these functions depend on their fold. Experimental result-based structural models of TLSs have been published. In this study, we further examine these structures using a combination of biophysical and biochemical approaches to explore the three-dimensional (3D) architectures of TLSs from the turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV), tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), and brome mosaic virus (BMV). We find that despite similar function, these RNAs are biophysically diverse: the TYMV TLS adopts a characteristic tRNA-like L shape, the BMV TLS has a large compact globular domain with several helical extensions, and the TMV TLS aggregates in solution. Both the TYMV and BMV TLS RNAs adopt structures with tight backbone packing and also with dynamic structural elements, suggesting complexities and subtleties that cannot be explained by simple tRNA mimicry. These results confirm some aspects of existing models and also indicate how these models can be improved. The biophysical characteristics of these TLSs show how these multifunctional RNAs might regulate various viral processes, including negative strand synthesis, and also allow comparison with other structured RNAs.