Functional atlas of vertebrate viral RNA elements that stabilize RNA and enhance translation.

Pt1 from Potamipivirus stabilizes linear mRNA to levels comparable to circular RNA by recruiting PAPγ/α to drive cytoplasmic polyadenylation.

• Why it matters: Viral regulatory elements that stabilize RNA and enhance translation are broad but their mechanisms and diversity are still poorly defined.
• What they did: Massively parallel reporter assays tested ~200,000 genomic segments from 297 vertebrate-infecting viral genera, identifying TENT4-mediated mixed tailing and TENT4-independent elements, including Pt1.
• The result: Pt1 directly recruits canonical poly(A) polymerases (PAPγ/α) to drive cytoplasmic polyadenylation, extending poly(A)-tail biology and enabling RNA-therapeutic potential.

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