Analyses of the genomes of prototype Pichinde arenavirus and a virulent derivative of Pichinde Munchique: Evidence for sequence conservation at the 3′ termini of their viral RNA species

Abstract

Sequence analyses of 3′-[ 32P]pCp end-labeled large (L) and small (S) viral RNA species of prototype Pichinde (PIC) arenavirus and a virulent derivative of Pichinde Munchique (MUC) virus have shown that the two viral RNA species of each virus have similar 3′-terminal RNA sequences. The 3′-terminal sequence of the first 19 nucleotides of the S RNA of either virus is: 5′ … GCCUAGGAUCCACUGUGCG OH3′. By comparison, the sequence of the first 19 nucleotides of the L RNA species of either virus is identical, except for a position 6 G residue (from the 3′ end), and a position 8 U residue. The first UAC triplet on S RNA occurs at nucleotide position 84 from the 3′ end; for the L RNA it occurs at nucleotide position 31. Whether these UAC triplets represent the initiation points of translation on viral complementary mRNA species remains to be determined.