The Lassa fever virus L gene: nucleotide sequence, comparison, and precipitation of a predicted 250 kDa protein with monospecific antiserum.
The large (L) RNA segment of Lassa fever virus (LAS) encodes a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp or L protein). Similar to other arenaviruses, the LAS L protein is encoded on the genome-complementary strand and is predicted to be 2218 amino acids in length (253 kDa). It has an unusually large non-coding region adjacent to its translation start site. The LAS L protein contains six motifs of conserved amino acids that have been found among arenavirus L proteins and core RdRp of other segmented negative-stranded (SNS) viruses (Arena-, Bunya- and Orthomyxoviridae). Phylogenetic analyses of the RdRp of 20 SNS viruses reveals that arenavirus L proteins represent a distinct cluster divided into LAS-lymphocytic choriomeningitis and Tacaribe-Pichinde virus lineages. Monospecific serum against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the most conserved central domain precipitates a 250 kDa product from LAS and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-infected cells.
Lukashevich
I S
IS
Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53706, USA.
Djavani
M
M
Shapiro
K
K
Sanchez
A
A
Ravkov
E
E
Nichol
S T
ST
Salvato
M S
MS
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D007836:Lassa virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral