title: A comparison of complete untranslated regions of measles virus genomes derived from wild-type viruses and SSPE brain tissues.
abstract: We compared complete untranslated regions (UTRs) of two subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) measles virus (MV) strains and two wild-type (wt) MV strains, all belonging to the same genotype (D6). In comparison to wt MVs of the same genotype, base changes were identified in the two SSPE measles virus strains at 27 and 33 noncoding positions, respectively. Majority of these residues are unique for each of the SSPE virus sequences in comparison to all other reported measles virus strain sequences. The location of some of these changes indicates that they may modify cis-acting regulatory sequences including gene-end signal of the P gene, H/L gene junction and Kozak consensus element of the L gene. Further, within the long UTR between M and F genes, deletions and insertions were identified. Thus, our study could be significant for additional investigation using reverse genetics and recombinant viruses, of possible influence of mutations in UTRs on establishment and maintenance of chronic progressive CNS disease caused by MV persistence.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biomedicine Unit, Institute of Immunology Inc.,, Rockefeller street 10, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marijana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baricevic
authors.forename: Dubravko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forcic
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santak
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazuran
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003933:Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000235:genetics; D008459:Measles virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013344:Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D020506:Untranslated Regions / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D020506:Untranslated Regions