Identification of the 5' terminal sequence of the SAR-55 and MEX-14 strains of hepatitis E virus and confirmation that the genome is capped.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a nonenveloped virus with a genome of single-stranded, positive-sense RNA. The 5' terminal sequence of two HEV strains (SAR-55 and MEX-14) was determined by a 5' RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method designed to select capped RNAs. The 5' noncoding region of the SAR-55 and MEX-14 strains were amplified, confirming that the genomic RNA of HEV is capped. The 5' noncoding region of the SAR-55 strain had 25 nucleotides, which is two less than reported for the Burmese strain, and that of the MEX-14 strain had 24 nucleotides, which is 21 more than reported previously [Huang et al., 1992].
Zhang
M
M
Hepatitis Viruses and Molecular Hepatitis Sections, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
Purcell
R H
RH
Emerson
S U
SU
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000494:pharmacology; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000494:pharmacology; D012315:RNA Caps / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017421:Sequence Analysis
D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012315:RNA Caps; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D011755:Pyrophosphatases