The sequence of the M RNA of an isolate of La Crosse virus.
The middle-size (M) genomic RNA of a New York State, U.S.A. isolate of La Crosse (LAC) virus has been cloned by a random priming procedure and its nucleotide sequence determined by the dideoxy method. The RNA was found to be 4526 nucleotides in length and to have a base composition of 34.2% U, 27.8% A, 20.6% C and 17.4% G. There is a single, long open reading frame in the viral complementary RNA that contains sufficient information to code for a protein of 1441 amino acids. In these respects, as in many others, the LAC virus M RNA and its encoded protein were very similar, if not identical, to those previously reported by other investigators for the closely related snowshoe hare virus. The M RNAs of the two viruses show 79% nucleotide sequence homology and 89% homology in the amino acid sequence of their encoded proteins. Several algorithms for predicting surface residues, as well as the Chou-Fasman rules for predicting secondary structure, were used to compare the LAC virus and snowshoe hare virus M gene proteins. These analyses identified 39 sites on the proteins as those most likely to be linear antigenic determinants that might contribute to the differences between the two viruses.
Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research, New York State Department of Health, Albany 12201.
L J
LJ
Grady
M L
ML
Sanders
W P
WP
Campbell
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002043:Bunyaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D002141:Encephalitis Virus, California / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins