title: RNA segment 9 exists as a duplex concatemer in an Australian strain of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV): Genetic analysis and evidence for the presence of concatemers as a normal feature of orbivirus replication.
abstract: This paper reports a concatemeric RNA in a strain of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotype 5. Sequencing showed that the concatemeric RNA contains two identical full-length copies of genome segment 9, arranged in series, which has apparently replaced the monomeric form of the segment. In vitro translation demonstrated that the concatemeric RNA can act as a viable template for VP6 translation, but that no double-sized protein is produced. Studies were also performed to assess whether mutations might be easily introduced into the second copy (which might indicate some potential evolutionary significance of a concatemeric RNA segment), however multiple (n=40) passages generated no changes in the sequence of either the upstream or downstream segments. Further, we present results that demonstrate the presence of concatemers or partial gene duplications in multiple segments of different orbiviruses (in tissue culture and purified virus), suggesting their generation is likely to be a normal feature of orbivirus replication.
authors.affiliation: Vector-borne Disease Program, Institute for Animal Health, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey, GU24 0NF, UK. sja2127@columbia.edu
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Darpel
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Belaganahalli
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nomikou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Attoui
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maan
authors.forename: P P C
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Mertens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D005814:Genes, Viral; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016679:Genome, Viral; D018164:Hemorrhagic Disease Virus, Epizootic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral