Completion of the Lassa fever virus sequence and identification of a RING finger open reading frame at the L RNA 5' End

M Djavani; I S Lukashevich; A Sanchez; S T Nichol; M S Salvato

doi:10.1006/viro.1997.8722

Completion of the Lassa fever virus sequence and identification of a RING finger open reading frame at the L RNA 5' End

Virology. 1997 Sep 1;235(2):414-8. doi: 10.1006/viro.1997.8722.

Authors

M Djavani¹, I S Lukashevich, A Sanchez, S T Nichol, M S Salvato

Affiliation

¹ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin Medical School, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA.

PMID: 9281522
DOI: 10.1006/viro.1997.8722

Abstract

Lassa (LAS) fever virus is a highly pathogenic arenavirus with large (L) and small (S) RNA genomic segments. The 5' end of the LAS L segment is described here, thereby completing the sequence of the most virulent arenavirus analyzed to date. In keeping with the ambisense gene structure of the arenaviruses, the LAS L RNA encodes a 250-kDa protein and an 11-kDa protein in opposite senses with respect to each other. The 11-kDa protein, defined previously in arenaviruses lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM), Tacaribe (TAC), and Pichinde (PIC), contains a RING type of zinc-binding structure. Expression of the 11-kDa protein in LAS virus-infected cells has been confirmed by binding to peptide-specific antibody.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Chlorocebus aethiops
DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
Lassa virus / genetics*
Lassa virus / metabolism
Molecular Sequence Data
Open Reading Frames
RNA, Viral / genetics*
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Vero Cells
Zinc Fingers / genetics*

Substances

DNA-Binding Proteins
RNA, Viral

Associated data

GENBANK/U73034

Grants and funding

A132107/PHS HHS/United States