title: Transcripts of simian virus 41 (SV41) matrix gene are exclusively dicistronic with the fusion gene which is also transcribed as a monocistron.
abstract: The complete nucleotide sequences of the matrix (M) and fusion (F) genes of simian virus 41 (SV41) were determined. Deduced amino acid sequences confirmed the close relationship of SV41 with human parainfluenza type 2 virus (PIV2). Analyses of noncoding regions between the F and the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) genes suggested the absence of the small hydrophobic gene, which is present between the F and the HN genes of simian virus 5 and mumps virus. It was striking that there was no apparent consensus gene end sequence between the M and the F genes and that the M gene was transcribed exclusively as a dicistron with the F gene. The number of monocistronic transcripts of the F gene was approximately half that of the dicistronic transcripts. However, the F protein of SV41 seemed to be efficiently translated, since viral multiplication and fusion from within were as efficient as in PIV2. These results suggest that the lack of a consensus gene end sequence resulted in the readthrough of viral RNA polymerases between the M and the F genes and that the initiation of F gene transcription could occur by newly entered polymerases independently of the polymerases that started the upstream M gene transcription.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Mie University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsurudome
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bando
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015723:Gene Library; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010223:Parainfluenza Virus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics; D010252:Paramyxoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014709:Vero Cells; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins