The 5' end of coronavirus minus-strand RNAs contains a short poly(U) tract.
A radiolabeled oligodeoxynucleotide primer that anneals near the common 5' end of bovine coronavirus minus-strand RNAs was extended with reverse transcriptase, and a major product suggesting poly(U) tracts of 8 to 20 nucleotides was found. The extended primer molecules were ligated head to tail, amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, cloned, and sequenced, and poly(U) tracts of 9 to 26 nucleotides were found. Poly(A) tails of 100 to 130 nucleotides on the 3' end of coronavirus plus-strand mRNAs and genome must, therefore, be generated by a mechanism that uses only a short poly(U) template. This pattern contrasts with that of other cytoplasmic, polyadenylated, plus-strand animal RNA viruses which utilize a full-length poly(U) template for poly(A) synthesis.
Hofmann
M A
MA
Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996-0845.
Brian
D A
DA
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002417:Cattle; D003332:Coronaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011072:Poly U / Q000032:analysis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011072:Poly U