title: Sequence analysis reveals extensive polymorphism and evidence of deletions within the E2 glycoprotein gene of several strains of murine hepatitis virus.
abstract: Direct RNA sequence analysis of the E2 gene of wild-type MHV-4 and of neutralization resistant, neuroattenuated variants has identified a polymorphic region with respect to deletions. These variants had large deletions of 142 to 159 amino acids mapping to a localized region in the amino-terminal domain of the peplomer glycoprotein. The nucleotide sequence of the E2 gene for wild-type strain MHV-4 was found to be very similar to that of MHV-JHM but had an insertion of 423 nucleotides resulting in the addition of a stretch of 141 unique amino acids in the amino-terminal domain of E2. We propose that deletions reflect a major source of heterogeneity in the E2 protein of MHV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, California 92037.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Buchmeier
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005814:Genes, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins