Concurrent sequence analysis of 5' and 3' RNA termini by intramolecular circularization reveals 5' nontemplated bases and 3' terminal heterogeneity for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus mRNAs.
We have used a technique of RNA circularization coupled with polymerase chain reaction amplification for simultaneous analysis of the 5' and 3' termini of subgenomic mRNAs derived from the S RNA of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus during an acute infection of BHK cells. These mRNAs possess 1 to 7 nontemplated nucleotides of apparently random sequence at their 5' ends. The predominant mRNA species have 4 or 5 nontemplated nucleotides. The 5' termini of the mRNAs also have properties consistent with the presence of a 5' cap structure. The 3' termini of the mRNAs lack poly(A) tails, and we have shown that transcription termination occurs at heterogeneous positions within the intergenic region of the S RNA. The identification of several distinct termini in the vicinity of a putative stem-loop structure in the RNA templates suggests that transcription termination may be mediated by a structural signal rather than a precise sequence signal.
Meyer
B J
BJ
Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis 55455.
Southern
P J
PJ
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D012315:RNA Caps; D000079962:RNA, Circular; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D006023:Glycoproteins; D012315:RNA Caps; D000079962:RNA, Circular; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins; D012313:RNA