Sequence of 2,617 nucieotides from the 3′ end of Newcastle disease virus genome RNA and the predicted amino acid sequence of viral NP protein

DNA fragments complementary to the Newcastle disease virus genome (strain D26) were cloned and sequenced. The sequence of 2,617 nucleotides from the 3' end of the genome was determined and an open reading frame (OP-1) consisting of 1,467 nucleotides, most likely encoding NP protein, was found in this region. This was followed by a second unfinished open reading frame (OP-2) of at least 729 nucleotides which continued beyond the 2,617th nucleotide. Another relatively short (312 nucleotides long) open reading frame (OP-2') was found overlapping with OP-2, but its significance is still unclear. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of OP-1 showed a moderate homology to that of the NP protein of Sendai virus in the central portion of the peptide. The leader sequence of 53 nucleotides was also identified. The 5' end of mRNAs synthesized in the infected cells was analyzed and found to be m7GpppA, suggesting that the transcription of viral mRNAs starts with A, but not with G residue.