title: The nucleotide sequence of the L gene of Marburg virus, a filovirus: homologies with paramyxoviruses and rhabdoviruses.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institut fuer Virologie, Philipps-Universitaet, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mühlberger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Randolf
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Will
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kiley
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Klenk
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feldmann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005814:Genes, Viral; D029024:Marburgvirus / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010252:Paramyxoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics*; D012209:Rhabdoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase