Controlling Viral Replication with Light and Temperature — Our Study Using VSV Has Been Accepted for Publication in J Gen Virol

Optogenetic and temperature-dependent modulation of vesicular stomatitis virus polymerase activity by an intramolecular dimerizer

Maino Tahara, Taichi Kameya, Hideki Tani, Takashi Okura, Moritoshi Sato, Makoto Takeda, Akihide Ryo

We inserted a light-inducible dimerization module into the L protein, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), and analyzed its effects on polymerase function. Viral replication was enhanced not only by blue-light illumination but also at lower temperatures. Furthermore, a thermally stabilized variant of the light-inducible dimerization module supported viral replication even in the dark. These findings demonstrate that polymerase-mediated gene expression (transcription) and subsequent viral replication are influenced not only by light but also by the structural properties and temperature dependence of the inserted module.