Open AccessA previously unrecognized influenza B virus glycoprotein from a bicistronic mRNA that also encodes the viral neuraminidase.
Author(s) -
Michael Shaw,
Purnell W. Choppin,
Robert A. Lamb
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.80.16.4879
Subject(s) - biology , neuraminidase , virology , virus , nucleic acid sequence , messenger rna , peptide sequence , open reading frame , orthomyxoviridae , microbiology and biotechnology , amino acid , influenzavirus b , influenza a virus , gene , biochemistry
RNA segment 6 of the influenza B virus genome codes for a previously unidentified polypeptide designated NB. The reading frame for this polypeptide begins with the first AUG codon on the mRNA and overlaps the reading frame for the viral neuraminidase by 292 nucleotides. The amino acid sequence of polypeptide NB deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the B/Lee/40 strain consists of 100 amino acids with a molecular weight of 11,242. The sequence contains four potential glycosylation sites, and the protein has been found to be glycosylated in infected cells. NB has not been found in virions. Sucrose gradient sedimentation and analysis of the structure of the mRNA by nuclease S1 mapping and sequence analysis by the primer extension method indicated that polypeptide NB and the neuraminidase are translated from a single bicistronic mRNA. A protein analogous to NB has not been found with influenza A virus, and this represents a major difference between the two virus types.