Mapping and initiation studies on the leader RNA of vesicular stomatitis virus

Leader RNA facilitates snakehead vesiculovirus (SHVV) replication by interacting with CSDE1 and hnRNP A3

Leader RNAs are viral small non-coding RNAs that has been proved to play important roles in viral replication. Snakehead vesiculovirus (SHVV) is an aquatic virus that has caused huge economic loss in Chinese snakehead fish aquaculture industry. It has been proved that SHVV would generate leader RNA during the process of infection, and leader RNA could interact with viral nucleoprotein to promote viral replication. In this study, we identified that leader RNA could also interact with cellular protein Cold Shock Domain containing E1 (CSDE1) and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A3 (hnRNP A3). Further investigation reveals that overexpression of CSDE1 and hnRNP A3 facilitated SHVV replication. Downregulation of CSDE1 and hnRNP A3 by siRNA inhibited SHVV replication. This study provided a new sight into understand the mechanism of SHVV replication, and a potential anti-SHVV target for drug research.

Leader RNA regulates snakehead vesiculovirus replication via interacting with viral nucleoprotein

Leader RNA, a kind of virus-derived small noncoding RNA, has been proposed to play an important role in regulating virus replication, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study, snakehead vesiculovirus (SHVV), a kind of fish rhabdovirus causing high mortality to the cultured snakehead fish in China, was used to unveil the molecular function of leader RNA. High-throughput small RNA sequencing of SHVV-infected cells showed that SHVV produced two groups of leader RNAs (named le_group1 and le_group2) during infection. Overexpression and knockout experiments reveal that le_group1, but not le_group2, affects SHVV replication. Mechanistically, le_group1-mediated regulation of SHVV replication was associated with its interaction with the viral nucleoprotein (N). Moreover, the nucleotides 6-10 of le_group1 were identified as the critical region for its interaction with the N protein, and the amino acids 1-45 of N protein were proved to confer its interaction with the le_group1. Taken together, we identified two groups of SHVV leader RNAs and revealed a role in virus replication for one of the two types of leader RNAs. This study will help understand the role of leader RNA in regulating the replication of negative-stranded RNA viruses.

Alternate capping mechanisms for transcription of spring viremia of carp virus: evidence for independent mRNA initiation

Two alternate mechanisms of mRNA capping for spring viremia of carp virus have been observed. Under normal reaction conditions, a ppG residue of the capping GTP is transferred to a pA moiety of the 5' termini of mRNA transcripts. However, in reaction conditions where GppNHp is used instead of GTP, an alternate capping mechanism occurs whereby a pG residue of the capping GTP is transferred to a ppA moiety of the transcripts. The first mechanism is identical to that described previously for vesicular stomatitis virus (G. Abraham, D. P. Rhodes, and A. K. Banerjee, Nature [London] 255:37-40, 1975; A. K. Banerjee, S. A. Moyer, and D. P. Rhodes, Virology 61:547-558, 1974), and thus appears to be a conserved function during the evolution of rhabdoviruses. The alternate mechanism of capping indicates not only that capping can take place by two procedures, but also that the substrate termini have di- or triphosphate 5' ends, indicating that they are probably independently initiated. An analog of ATP, AppNHp, has been found to completely inhibit the initiation of transcription by spring viremia of carp virus, suggesting that a cleavage between the beta and gamma phosphates of ATP is essential for the initiation of transcription. However, in the presence of GppNHp, uncapped (ppAp and pppAp), capped (GpppAp), and capped methylated (m7GpppAmpAp and GpppAmpAp) transcripts are detected. Size analyses of oligodeoxythymidylic acid-cellulose-bound transcripts resolved by formamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that full-size mRNA transcripts are synthesized as well as larger RNA species. The presence of GppNHp and S-adenosylhomocysteine in reaction mixtures did not have any effect on the type of unmethylated transcription products. Our results favor a transcription model postulated previously (D. H. L. Bishop, in H. Fraenkel-Conrat and R. R. Wagner, ed., Comprehensive Virology, vol. 10, Plenum Press, New York, 1977; D. H. L. Bishop and A. Flamand, in D. C. Burke and W. C. Russell, ed., Control Processes in Virus Multiplication, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1975; D. H. L. Bishop and M. S. Smith, in D. Nayak, ed., The Molecular Biology of Animal Viruses, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1977; P. Roy and D. H. L. Bishop, J. Virol. 11:487-501, 1973) in which mRNA synthesis is initiated independently; they do not support a model for transcripts being synthesized by plus-strand cleavage (A. K. Banerjee, G. Abraham, and R. J. Colonno, J. Gen. Virol. 34:1-8, 1977; A. K. Banerjee, R. J. Colonno, D. Testa, and M. T. Franze-Fernandez, in B. M. J. Mahy and R. D. Barry, ed., Negative Strand Viruses and the Host Cells, Academic Press, London, 1978).

Two RNA polymerase complexes from vesicular stomatitis virus-infected cells that carry out transcription and replication of genome RNA

By immunoaffinity column chromatography, we have purified two RNA polymerase complexes, the transcriptase and replicase, from vesicular stomatitis virus-infected baby hamster kidney cells. The transcriptase is a multiprotein complex, containing the virus-encoded RNA polymerase L and P proteins, and two cellular proteins, translation elongation factor-1alpha and heat-shock protein 60. In addition, the complex contains a submolar amount of cellular mRNA cap guanylyltransferase. The replicase, on the other hand, is a complex containing the viral proteins, L, P, and the nucleocapsid (N), but lacking elongation factor-1alpha, heat-shock protein 60, and guanylyltransferase. The transcriptase complex synthesizes capped mRNAs and initiates transcription at the first gene (N) start site, whereas the replicase complex initiates RNA synthesis at the precise 3' end of the genome RNA and synthesizes encapsidated replication products in the presence of the N-P complex. We propose that two RNA polymerase complexes that differ in their content of virally and host-encoded proteins are separately responsible for transcription and replication of vesicular stomatitis virus genome RNA.

Interferon induction by viruses. XXII. Vesicular stomatitis virus-Indiana: M-protein and leader RNA do not regulate interferon induction in chicken embryo cells

Several field isolates, strains, mutants, and revertants of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), Indiana (IN) serotype, were studied that differed greatly in their capacity to induce interferon (IFN) in aged chick embryo cells. The predicted M-protein amino acid sequence of a wild-type field isolate that induced > or = 10,000 units/ml IFN in chicken embryo cells was identical to that of a wild-type field isolate that induced < 2 units/ml and of a noninducing wild-type laboratory strain. The 47-base plus-strand leader RNA sequences were the same for five IFN-inducing, and eight noninducing independent isolates of wild-type VSV IN. Our data show that the M-protein and plus-strand leader RNA do not of themselves regulate the induction of IFN in this system. Because the capacity of VSV IN to induce IFN resides in virion-associated elements (Marcus and Sekellick, 1987, J. Interferon Res. 7, 269-284), the differences in IFN yield observed with various isolates must result from changes in other virion components that remain to be determined.

The nucleotide sequence of the L gene of Marburg virus, a filovirus: homologies with paramyxoviruses and rhabdoviruses

The nucleotide sequence of the L gene of Marburg virus, strain Musoke, has been determined. The L gene has a single long open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 2330 amino acids (MW 267,175) that represents the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The putative transcription start signal (3'CUACCUAUAAUU 5') and the termination signal (3' UAAUUCUUUUU 5') of the gene could be identified. Computer-assisted comparison of the L protein with L proteins of other nonsegmented negative-stranded RNA viruses (Paramyxoviridae: Sendai virus, Newcastle disease virus, human parainfluenza 3 virus, measles virus, human respiratory syncytial virus; Rhabdoviridae: vesicular stomatitis virus, rabies virus) revealed significant homologies primarily in the N-terminal half of the proteins. We have identified three common conserved boxes (A, B, and C) among filo-, paramyxo-, and rhabdovirus L proteins, which are probably involved in the polymerase function. The L proteins can be divided into an N-terminal half, which seems to accommodate the common enzymatic sites, and a C-terminal half carrying virus specific peculiarities. The data presented here suggest a common evolutionary history for all nonsegmented negative-stranded RNA viruses and show that filoviruses are more closely related to paramyxo- than to rhabdoviruses.

Rapid accumulation of measles virus leader RNA in the nucleus of infected HeLa cells and human lymphoid cells

The 3' terminus of the single-stranded, negative-sense genome of the measles virus comprises a 55-nucleotide-long sequence, which is transcribed into a short, positive-sense RNA called the leader sequence. In other viral systems, this RNA has been shown to modulate host cell transcription. Here, we report the presence of measles virus leader RNA in both cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions of infected HeLa cells as well as T- and B-lymphoid cells. A sharp and rapid increase in the concentration of leader RNA in the nucleus of infected HeLa cells was also observed. The presence and accumulation of leader RNA in the nucleus of infected cells supports the hypothesis that the leader RNA plays a role in the down regulation of host cell transcription and may be responsible for the suppression of immunoglobulin synthesis by measles virus-infected B cells. Such alterations in immune responsiveness could aid in the establishment of a persistent infection by measles virus.

Viral transcription is necessary and sufficient for vesicular stomatitis virus to inhibit maturation of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins

Infection of baby hamster kidney cells with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) results in the accumulation of immature U1 and U2 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) that contain precursor U RNAs and at least some of the proteins specific for U1 and U2 snRNAs but lack the Sm complex of proteins that is common to these U snRNAs. The VSV function required for this effect is not known, but direct inhibition of cellular transcription did not alter the maturation of U1 and U2 snRNPs. On the other hand, viral transcription but not viral translation was required to inhibit U1 and U2 snRNP maturation. Temperature shift experiments with the mutant G114 showed that ongoing viral transcription was necessary, but that viral mRNA was not required for this inhibition. Furthermore, the VSV function involved in the inhibition of maturation of U1 and U2 snRNPs had a small UV target size of approximately 10 to 20 nucleotides. We demonstrate that temperature-sensitive mutants of VSV can be used as a tool to initiate the assembly of snRNPs in infected cells. These results are compatible with the suggestion that perturbation of snRNP metabolism by VSV precedes and is distinct from the effect of VSV on cellular RNA synthesis, although VSV leader RNA may be involved in both these functions.

Redistributive properties of the vesicular stomatitis virus polymerase

The template for transcription of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) genome consists of a negative-strand RNA (approximately 11 kb) tightly associated with approximately 1250 copies of the nucleocapsid or N protein (N-RNA template). The interaction between the virion-associated polymerase and this template was probed with a novel assay using purified N-RNA complexes added to detergent-disrupted uv-irradiated standard virions or unirradiated defective interfering (DI) particles. In contrast to the well-known stability of assembled cellular transcription complexes, the VSV polymerase copied exogenously added templates efficiently and yielded products indistinguishable from control virus transcription. Addition of uv-irradiated N-RNA templates to unirradiated virus effectively competed for transcription of endogenous template indicating that most or all of the polymerase can freely redistribute. Furthermore preincubation of virus and added templates at high ionic strength to solubilize L and NS polymerase proteins did not release additional active enzyme for redistribution. Pretranscription of virus also had little or no effect on redistributed activity indicating that polymerase complexes are capable of multiple rounds of synthesis beginning at the 3' end promoter. Unexpectedly, titration with saturating amounts of added N-RNA showed that active polymerase complexes are only in slight excess relative to template in standard or DI particles despite the large surplus of packaged L and NS polypeptides. Moreover, added standard virus templates competed equally well for the redistributing polymerase from DI particles or standard virus indicating no significant polymerase-binding preference for interfering templates. These findings bear important implications regarding mechanisms of VSV transcription and replication.

Measles virus synthesizes both leaderless and leader-containing polyadenylated RNAs in vivo

The minus-sense RNA genome of measles virus serves as a template for synthesizing plus-sense RNAs of genomic length (antigenomes) and subgenomic length [poly(A)+ RNAs]. To elucidate how these different species are produced in vivo, RNA synthesized from the 3'-proximal N gene was characterized by Northern RNA blot and RNase protection analyses. The results showed that measles virus produced three size classes of plus-sense N-containing RNA species corresponding to monocistronic N RNA, bicistronic NP RNA, and antigenomes. Unlike vesicular stomatitis virus, measles virus does not produce a detectable free plus-sense leader RNA. Instead, although antigenomes invariably contain a leader sequence, monocistronic and bicistronic poly(A)+ N-containing RNAs are synthesized either without or with a leader sequence. We cloned and characterized a full-length cDNA representing a product of the latter type of synthesis. mRNAs and antigenomes appeared sequentially and in parallel with leaderless and leader-containing RNAs. These various RNA species accumulated concurrently throughout infection. However, cycloheximide preferentially inhibited accumulation of antigenomes and leader-containing RNA but not leaderless and subgenomic RNAs late in infection, suggesting that synthesis of the former RNA species requires a late protein function or a continuous supply of structural proteins or both. These results reveal a previously undescribed mechanism for RNA synthesis in measles virus.

Differential effect of ATP concentration on synthesis of vesicular stomatitis virus leader RNAs and mRNAs

Cleavage of the beta-gamma bond of ATP is required for wild-type (wt) vesicular stomatitis virus transcription in vitro. Recent findings have established that a domain-specific phosphorylation of the virus NS protein is necessary for activity. We report here that RNA synthesis catalyzed by purified standard wt virions responded cooperatively to various ATP concentrations, with half-maximal activity at approximately 500 microM. In contrast, mutant polR1 standard virions and wt defective interfering particles both showed conventional Michaelis-Menten kinetic profiles with Km values of approximately 143 and approximately 133 microM, respectively. The former synthesize readthrough products of the leader-N gene junction in addition to plus-strand leader RNA and mRNAs, whereas the latter synthesize only minus-strand leader RNA. The cooperative response of wt virus products, however, was specific to mRNAs; the small fraction of the total products corresponding to plus-strand leader approximated Michaelis-Menten behavior. Since the unique phenotype of the polR mutants correlates with the synthesis of replicationlike products in vitro, the affected ATP-requiring function most likely regulates both transcription and replication. We suggest that this mutated function involves phosphorylation of viral proteins.

Molecular cloning of the six mRNA species of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, a fish rhabdovirus, and gene order determination by R-loop mapping

Plasmids carrying cDNA sequences to the mRNA species of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus were constructed and cloned into Escherichia coli. Characterization of 21 cloned plasmids by hybridization to mRNA blots identified sets of plasmids with homology to each of the six viral mRNA species. R-loop mapping with these cDNA plasmids determined that the gene order on the infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus genome is (3')N-M1-M2-G-NV-L(5').

Nucleotide sequence and host La protein interactions of rabies virus leader RNA

Rabies virus leader RNA was detected in infected BHK-21 cell extracts by hybridization to end-labeled genomic RNA. Similar to the leader RNA of vesicular stomatitis virus, the leader RNA of rabies virus was also found to be associated with the La protein by specific immunoprecipitation with antisera from lupus patients. The 3' end of the genomic RNA of rabies virus was sequenced, and the size and termination site of leader RNA were determined. In addition, extension of the sequence into the nucleocapsid gene of rabies virus showed an open reading frame for at least 37 amino acid residues. Sequence relationships between rabies virus and vesicular stomatitis virus leader genes and the possible involvement of the La protein in rhabdovirus biology are discussed.

Comparative inhibition of cellular transcription by vesicular stomatitis virus serotypes New Jersey and Indiana: role of each viral leader RNA

We compared the ability of the leader RNAs of the New Jersey and Indiana serotypes of vesicular stomatitis virus to inhibit transcription in infected host cells. The level of cellular RNA synthesis in cells infected with either serotype was drastically reduced by 5 h after infection. Studies with UV-inactivated virus demonstrated that shutoff of cellular RNA synthesis directly correlated with the ability of the infecting virus to transcribe its plus-stranded leader RNA. Although both serotypes inhibited cellular RNA synthesis, the Indiana serotype reduced synthesis to lower levels. In addition, an examination of the kinetics of leader RNA synthesis in vivo indicated that up to four times more leader RNA was produced in cells infected with the Indiana serotype than in those infected with the New Jersey serotype. However, in vivo studies also suggested that the leader RNA of the New Jersey serotype was a more efficient RNA inhibitor than was the Indiana serotype leader RNA. Although up to 2,900 copies of the leader RNA per cell could be detected in infected cells, only 550 copies of the Indiana and 100 copies of the New Jersey leader RNAs per cell were present in infected cells that were demonstrating 50% of the maximal inhibition of RNA synthesis. In an in vitro system, leader RNAs of both serotypes inhibited DNA-dependent transcription of the adenovirus late promoter and adenovirus-associated RNA genes, but the New Jersey serotype leader was also a better inhibitor in this reconstituted system. Data from the dose response of inhibition by each leader suggest that polymerase III transcription was more sensitive to inhibition by viral leaders than was polymerase II transcription. Polyadenylated viral mRNAs and the NS and N gene starts transcribed by both serotypes did not significantly inhibit transcription at levels at which the corresponding leader RNAs were inhibitory. Overall, our results strongly suggest a role for the plus-stranded leader RNAs of the New Jersey and Indiana serotypes of vesicular stomatitis virus in inhibiting cellular transcription in vivo. We discuss differences in the nucleotide sequences of the two leader RNAs in relation to their differences in biological activity and to potential regulatory sequences.

In vitro synthesis of genome length complementary RNA of vesicular stomatitis virus in the presence of inosine 5'-triphosphate

The virion-associated RNA polymerase of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) synthesizes RNA in vitro when GTP is replaced by inosine 5'-triphosphate (ITP). The synthesis is optimal at an ITP concentration of 200 microM and the extent of synthesis is between 15 to 20% compared to normal transcription in the presence of GTP. Analyses of the RNA products revealed that approximately 10% of the product RNA represented plus-strand complement of the genome RNA. Defective interfering particles of VSV were also capable of synthesizing complementary RNA in the presence of ITP, in addition to 46-base RNA, although in lesser amount (2%). Since I substitution facilitates read-through of the genome RNA, these results suggest that interaction of the product RNA with the genome template or ITP-mediated modification of a viral protein may be involved in the read-through process in vitro.

Sequence determination of the (+) leader RNA regions of the vesicular stomatitis virus Chandipura, Cocal, and Piry serotype genomes

Using 3'-end-labeled genome probes, cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus Chandipura, Cocal, and Piry serotypes were shown to contain (+) leader RNAs of approximately 50 nucleotides in length. The nucleotide sequence of the leader RNA regions of these genomes was determined and compared with the previously reported sequences of both the (+) and (-) leader RNA regions of other vesicular stomatitis virus serotypes. Regions of strong conservation of nucleotide sequence among the various vesicular stomatitis virus serotypes suggest those nucleotides thought to be involved in control functions during vesicular stomatitis virus replication.

Identification and characterization of a group of discrete initiated oligonucleotides transcribed in vitro from the 3' terminus of the N-gene of vesicular stomatitis virus

Four triphosphate-initiated oligonucleotides, 11 to 14 bases long, produced by in vitro transcription of vesicular stomatitis virus were identified as the uncapped 5' sequences of N-gene mRNA. Characterization of these oligonucleotides reveals that they are continually produced stable transcripts that do not remain template bound. Under the conditions used, the oligonucleotide transcripts were produced at 8 to 10 times the molar amount of leader, suggesting that the N-gene mRNA is internally initiated.

Accumulation of newly synthesized mRNAs in response to human fibroblast (beta) interferon

Treatment of human fibroblast cells with human fibroblast (beta)interferon for up to 8 hr resulted in the accumulation of at least four mRNAs. The mRNAs were isolated from cellular polysomes and characterized by stimulation of translation in a wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis system. The mRNAs appear as early as 2 hr after exposure to interferon and can be translated in vitro into proteins having molecular weights of 61,000, 62,000, 64,000, and 68,000. The response is not elicited by mouse interferon or insulin and does not occur in the presence of actinomycin D. Chase experiments indicated that the induced mRNAs remain ribosome-associated for at least 3 hr after their synthesis. The appearance of the induced mRNAs correlated directly with the onset of an antiviral state. Velocity sedimentation of the induced mRNAs on sucrose gradients demonstrated that each of the four induced proteins are encoded by different-sized mRNAs.

Identification of promoter-proximal oligonucleotides and a unique dinucleotide, pppGpC, from in vitro transcription products of vesicular stomatitis virus

The oligonucleotides synthesized by purified vesicular stomatitis virus in vitro in the absence of one or more ribonucleoside triphosphate precursors have been studied. The oligonucleotides contained the 5'-terminal sequences of the leader RNA and one or more mRNA's. The promoter-proximal oligonucleotides lacked 5'-terminal cap structure and contained triphosphate A. These results suggest that the RNA polymerase is located at multiple promoter sites on the genome RNA from where it initiates transcription. The capping reaction appears to occur subsequently during RNA chain elongation. We have also demonstrated that a unique dinucleotide, pppGpC, of presently unknown function is synthesized in vitro in large amounts during RNA synthesis or in the presence of GTP and CTP only.

Inhibition of cellular DNA synthesis by vesicular stomatitis virus

DNA synthesis in mouse myeloma (MPC-11) cells and L cells was rapidly and progressively inhibited by infection with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). No significant difference in cellular DNA synthesis inhibition was noted between synchronized and unsynchronized cells, nor did synchronized cells vary in their susceptibility to VSV infection after release from successive thymidine and hydroxyurea blocks. Cellular RNA synthesis was inhibited to about the same extent as DNA synthesis, but cellular protein synthesis was less affected by VSV at the same multiplicity of infection. The effect of VSV on cellular DNA synthesis could not be attributed to degradation of existing DNA or to decreased uptake of deoxynucleoside triphosphates, nor were DNA polymerase and thymidine kinase activities significantly different in VSV-infected and uninfected cell extracts. Analysis by alkaline sucrose gradients of DNA in pulse-labeled uninfected and VSV-infected cells indicated that VSV infection did not appear to influence DNA chain elongation. Cellular DNA synthesis was not significantly inhibited by infection with the VSV polymerase mutant tsG114(I) at the restrictive temperature or by infection with defective-interfering VSV DI-011 (5' end of the genome), but DI-HR-LT (3' end of genome) exhibited initially rapid but not prolonged inhibition of MPC-11 cell DNA synthesis. DNA synthesis inhibitory activity of wild-type VSV was only slowly and partially inactivated by very large doses of UV irradiation. These data suggest that, as in the effect of VSV on cellular RNA synthesis (Weck et al., J. Virol. 30:746-753, 1979), inhibition of cellular DNA synthesis by VSV requires transcription of a small segment of the viral genome.

Effect of defective interfering particles on plus- and minus- strand leader RNAs in vesicular stomatitis virus-infected cells

Vesicular stomatitis virus-infected cells contain short RNA transcripts, called leader RNAs, which are coded by the exact 3' end of both the minus-strand and plus-strand nucleocapsid templates. The molar amounts of both the plus-strand leader RNA (which is templated from the minus-strand genome) and the minus-strand leader RNA (which is templated from the plus-strand antigenome) were determined both in standard-virus- and mixed-virus-infected cells by using end-labeled genome probes. The results demonstrate that the presence of defective interfering particles in the infecting virus stock decreases the amount of plus-strand leader RNA but increases the amount of minus-strand leader RNA found in the infected cells. In addition, considerably more minus-strand leader RNA per mole of nucleocapsid template is synthesized in mixed-virus-infected cells than plus-strand leader RNA per mole of nucleocapsid template in both standard-virus- and mixed-virus-infected cells.

Transcriptional map for Newcastle disease virus

A transcriptional map of Newcastle disease virus was determined by measuring the kinetics of UV inactivation of the transcription of individual genes and of viral infectivity. The inactivation of single genes was monitored by measuring the reduction in the accumulation of viral gene products in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, the accumulation of viral polypeptides in infected cells was measured after reversal of a cycloheximide treatment designed to inhibit secondary transcription. Actinomycin D and a hypertonic medium were used to decrease selectively the synthesis of host cell polypeptides in infected cells. In vitro, mRNA's synthesized by irradiated viruses were analyzed by translation in cell-free systems under conditions in which the amount of each polypeptide synthesized reflected the relative abundance of the corresponding mRNA. UV target sizes were obtained for the genes coding for the HN, F0, NP, M, L, and P polypeptides; the 47,000-dalton protein was not detected. A comparison of the UV target sizes with the corresponding gene sizes suggested that transcription of these genes initiated at a single promotor and proceeded in the order NP, P, (F0, M), HN, L. These experiments were performed with Newcastle disease virus strains Australia-Victoria and B1-Hitchner; for both strains, two forms of the P polypeptide which differed in electrophoretic mobility were detected. Proof that the P protein is virus specific was obtained. In addition, infection of chicken embryo cells with avirulent strain B1-Hitchner enhanced the accumulation of at least four polypeptides that appeared to be specified by the host cell rather than by the infecting virus.

Unique mode of transcription in vitro by Vesicular stomatitis virus

In addition to the five mRNA species and 47 nucleotide long leader RNA synthesized by purified virions of vesicular stomatitis virus, at least three discrete low molecular weight RNA species having approximate chain lengths of 28, 42 and 70 nucleotides can be detected in vitro. Each of these RNA species displays a unique and characteristic T1 fingerprint profile and contains (p)ppAA as its 5' terminus. By partial sequence analyses, two of the small RNA products, 42 and 28 bases long, were found to contain 5' terminal sequences identical to those in the N and NS mRNAs, respectively. Ultraviolet inactivation studies demonstrate that each of these RNA species has a target size in agreement with its molecular weight indicating independent initiation. Kinetic studies show that the small RNA species are synthesized within 1 min, while mRNA chain completion occurs later in the sequential order N-NS-M-G. These results indicate that viral mRNA synthesis occurs in vitro by multiple initiations at different promoter sites on the genome RNA, and that the elongation and completion of the individual mRNAs depend on prior transcription of 3' proximal genes. We present a model for viral mRNA synthesis in vitro.

Selective inhibition of glycoprotein and membrane protein of vesicular stomatitis virus from interferon-treated cells

A 200-fold inhibition in the titer of infectious vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was produced in cultures of Ly cells treated with 30 reference units of interferon per milliliter. Virus particle production, as measured by VSV particle-associated transcriptase, or nucleocapsid protein was inhibited by a maximum of tenfold. The glycoprotein and membrane protein content was reduced in VSV derived from interferon-treated cells. Thus interferon-treated cells may have produced VSV particles with low infectivity, which may be related to the reduced amount of glycoprotein incorporated into such particles. These findings resemble those reported in interferon-treated cells infected with murine leukemia viruses.

Defective interfering particle generated by internal deletion of the vesicular stomatitis virus genome

The genome structure of the long, truncated defective interfering particle derived from the heat-resistant strain of vesicular stomatitis virus has been examined. Stocks of this defective interfering particle are shown to contain several different species having information primarily from the 3' half of the vesicular stomatitis virus genome; the proportions of these components vary depending on the passage history of the stock. The two most abundant types have been identified and characterized. One has complementary 5' and 3' termini and consequently appears as a circular molecule when examined by electron microscopy. The other cannot circularize and remains linear. The circular forms are consistently 8 to 10% longer than the linear molecules. Rapid sequencing analyses reveal that both forms retain the 5' parental viral terminal sequence, but only the linear form retains the parental 3'-terminal sequence which is the complement of the 5' end. Hybridization experiments and electron microscopic analyses indicate that the linear form has retained 320 to 350 nucleotides of the 5' parental sequence and was probably generated by an internal deletion of the vesicular stomatitis virus genome.

Plus and minus strand leader RNAs in negative strand virus-infected cells

Sendai virus and VSV minus strand genome RNAs, labeled specifically at their 3' ends with RNA ligase, were used as probes to detect leader RNA--that is, short transcripts (approximately 50 nucleotides) complementary to the exact 3' end of the minus strand genome. These probes have allowed the detection of plus strand leader RNAs in both Sendai virus and VSV-infected cells as well as in the virion transcriptase reactions. The use of a similar probe, prepared from the self-complementary ends of DI genome RNA and containing the 3' end of the plus strand antigenome RNA, has allowed the detection of a minus strand leader RNA of identical size in VSV-infected cells. Since the presence of DI genomes could not be detected by analytical sucrose gradient centrifugation in these VSV-infected cells, this minus strand leader RNA is apparently synthesized on the template formed by the exact 3' end of the antigenome RNA.

The complete sequence of a unique RNA species synthesized by a DI particle of VSV

The 2S RNA synthesized in vitro by the RNA polymerase of a defective interfering (DI) particle of vesicular stomatitis virus was labeled at its 3' terminus with 32P-cytidine 3', 5' bisphosphate and RNA ligase. Analysis of the labeled RNA showed that it was a family of RNAs of different length but all sharing the same 5' terminal sequence. The largest labeled RNA was purified by gel electrophoresis, and the sequence of 41 of its 46 nucleotides was determined by rapid RNA sequencing methods. The assignment of the remaining 5 nucleotides was made on the basis of an analysis of one of the smaller RNAs and published data. A new approach in RNA sequencing based on the identification of 3' terminal nucleotides of rna fragments originally present in the DI product or generated during the ligation reaction confirmed most of the sequence. The complete sequence of this 46 nucleotide long plus-sense RNA is: ppACGAAGACCACAAAACCAGAUAAAAAA UAAAAACCACAAGAGGGUC-OH. This RNA anneals to the RNA of the DI particle from which it was synthesized, indicating that its synthesis is template-specified. At least the first 17 and possibly all of the nucleotides are also complementary to sequences at the 3' end of two other VSV DI particles which were derived independently and whose genomes differ significantly in length. These data suggest a common 3' terminal sequence among all VSV DI particles which contain part of the Lgene region of the parental genome.

Complete nucleotide sequence of the leader RNA synthesized in vitro by vesicular stomatitis virus

The complete nucleotide sequence of the leader RNA synthesized in vitro by the Indiana serotype of vesicular stomatitis virus is presented. The sequence was determined by the technique described by Donis-Keller, Maxam and Gilbert (1977) in combination with the standard two-dimensional fingerprint techniques described by Barrell (1971). The leader RNA contains 48 nucleotides variably terminating at the 3' terminus with cytosine (68%) and adenosine at position 47 (32%). Since the leader RNA is complementary to the 3' terminal portion of the viral genome RNA, the first 48 nucleotides from the 3' end of the genome RNA can be decuded. The leader RNA contains repetitive and palindromic sequences with a polypurine sequence at its 3' terminus. The possible role of some of the sequences is discussed.