The aminoacyl-transfer RNA synthetases (aaRS) catalyse the attachment of an amino acid to its cognate transfer RNA molecule in a highly specific two-step reaction. These proteins differ widely in size and oligomeric state, and have limited sequence homology. Out of the 18 known aaRS, only 9 referred to as class I synthetases (GlnRS, TyrRS, MetRS, GluRS, ArgRS, ValRS, IleRS, LeuRS, TrpRS), display two short common consensus sequences ('HIGH' and 'KMSKS') which indicate, as observed in three crystal structures, the presence of a structural domain (the Rossman fold) that binds ATP. We report here the sequence of Escherichia coli ProRS, a dimer of relative molecular mass 127,402, which is homologous to both ThrRS and SerRS. These three latter aaRS share three new sequence motifs with AspRS, AsnRS, LysRS, HisRS and the beta subunit of PheRS. These three motifs (motifs 1, 2 and 3), in a search through the entire data bank, proved to be specific for this set of aaRS (referred to as class II). Class II may also contain AlaRS and GlyRS, because these sequences have a typical motif 3. Surprisingly, this partition of aaRS in two classes is found to be strongly correlated on the functional level with the acylation occurring either on the 2' OH (class I) or 3' OH (class II) of the ribose of the last nucleotide of tRNA.

Four consensus sequences are conserved with the same linear arrangement in RNA‐dependent DNA polymerases encoded by retroid elements and in RNA‐dependent RNA polymerases encoded by plus‐, minus‐ and double‐strand RNA viruses. One of these motifs corresponds to the YGDD span previously described by Kamer and Argos (1984). These consensus sequences altogether lead to 4 strictly and 18 conservatively maintained amino acids embedded in a large domain of 120 to 210 amino acids. As judged from secondary structure predictions, each of the 4 motifs, which may cooperate to form a well‐ordered domain, places one invariant amino acid in or proximal to turn structures that may be crucial for their correct positioning in a catalytic process. We suggest that this domain may constitute a prerequisite ‘polymerase module’ implicated in template seating and polymerase activity. At the evolutionary level, the sequence similarities, gap distribution and distances between each motif strongly suggest that the ancestral polymerase module was encoded by an individual genetic element which was most closely related to the plus‐strand RNA viruses and the non‐viral retroposons. This polymerase module gene may have subsequently propagated in the viral kingdom by distinct gene set recombination events leading to the wide viral variety observed today.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease. Therapeutic options are limited and preventive strategies are absent. Entry is the first step of infection and requires the cooperative interaction of several host cell factors. Using a functional RNAi kinase screen we identified epidermal growth factor receptor and ephrin receptor A2 as host co-factors for HCV entry. Blocking of kinase function by approved inhibitors broadly inhibited HCV infection of all major HCV genotypes and viral escape variants in cell culture and an animal model in vivo. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) mediate HCV entry by regulating CD81-claudin-1 co-receptor associations and membrane fusion. These results identify RTKs as novel HCV entry co-factors and uncover that kinase inhibitors have significant antiviral activity. Inhibition of RTK function may constitute a novel approach for prevention and treatment of HCV infection.