Summary.
The nucleotide sequences of the termini of two of the genomic segments of the negative strand RNA virus infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) were determined. The sequence of the terminal 9 nucleotides at both ends of the viral RNAs was identical, and showed distinctive sequence homology with the conserved terminal sequences found in the orthomyxoviruses. For both ISAV genomic segments a computer-based secondary structure modelling indicated that the terminal 21–24 nucleotides were able to form self-complementary panhandle structures. Comparison with ISAV-derived mRNA sequences showed that ISAV mRNAs have heterogeneous 5′-ends, and are polyadenylated from a signal sequence 13–14 nucleotides downstream of the 5′-end terminus of the vRNA. Furthermore, the in vitro replication of ISAV was hindered by the RNA polymerase II inhibitor α-amanitin. These findings indicate that the mechanisms for replication of ISAV are similar to those of the orthomyxoviruses, and add to the previously reported structural similarities between ISAV and the orthomyxoviruses.
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Received November 2, 1999 Accepted February 18, 2000
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Sandvik, T., Rimstad, E. & Mjaaland, S. The viral RNA 3′- and 5′-end structure and mRNA transcription of infectious salmon anaemia virus resemble those of influenza viruses. Arch. Virol. 145, 1659–1669 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007050070082
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s007050070082