Replication of mouse hepatitis virus: negative-stranded RNA and replicative form RNA are of genome length.
There are seven virus-specific mRNA species in mouse hepatitis virus-infected cells (Lai et al., J. Virol. 39:823-834, 1981). In this study, we examined virus-specific negative-stranded RNA to determine whether there are corresponding multiple negative-stranded RNAs. Intracellular RNA from mouse hepatitis virus-infected cells was separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose membranes, and hybridized to positive-stranded genomic 60S [32P]RNA. Only a single RNA species of genomic size was detected under these conditions. This RNA was negative stranded. No negative-stranded subgenomic RNA was detected. We also studied double-stranded replicative-form RNA in the infected cells. Only one replicative-form of genomic size was detected. When the double-stranded RNA isolated without RNase treatment was analyzed, again only one RNA species of genomic size was detectable. Furthermore, most of the virus-specific mRNAs could be released from this RNA species upon heating. These results suggest that all of the mouse hepatitis virus-specific RNAs are transcribed from a single species of negative-stranded RNA template of genomic size.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005814:Genes, Viral; D051379:Mice; D006517:Murine hepatitis virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014779:Virus Replication
D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral