title: Antibodies against Sendai virus L protein: distribution of the protein in nucleocapsids revealed by immunoelectron microscopy.
abstract: Antibodies against the L protein of Sendai virus were made by immunizing rabbits with a synthetic peptide representing a carboxyl-terminal region of the protein predicted from the base sequence of its gene. These antibodies were used to localize the L protein in viral nucleocapsids by electron microscopy. Immunogold labeling revealed that L protein molecules were distributed in clusters along nucleocapsids, suggesting that L molecules act cooperatively in viral RNA synthesis. Immunogold double-labeling showed that all L clusters were associated with clusters of P molecules. We believe that this morphological association reflects the functional cooperation of the L and P proteins in viral RNA synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38101-0318.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Portner
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Murti
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kingsbury
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D002213:Capsid / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010222:Parainfluenza Virus 1, Human / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C040530:L protein, vesicular stomatitis virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase