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The characterisation of the virion RNA of avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus
Author(s) -
Macnaughton Malcolm R.,
Madge M.Hilary
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(77)80258-5
Subject(s) - harrow , library science , editorial board , virology , medicine , biology , computer science , agronomy
Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) is a member of the group of enveloped viruses called coronaviruses [l] . The particles of IBV are pleomorphic and range in diameter from 80-l 20 nm. They typically contain a corona of widely-spaced club-like surface projections up to 20 nm in length WI. Previous reports have shown that the nucleic acid of IBV is RNA [4,5] although there is some discrepancy as to the size of this RNA. Tannock [4] analysed phenol-extracted IBV RNA and showed it to consist of extremely heterogeneous RNA fragments, while Watkins et al. [S] have shown that the IBVgenome extracted with 1% SDS at 60°C is a single large mol. wt (9.0 X 106) RNA species. Another report [6] has shown that the coronaviruses, transmissible gastroenteritis virus and haemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus also contain single large molecular weight RNA genomes. The present report describes a method of isolation of IBV-RNA, using proteinase K, that reveals a single single-stranded high mol. wt (approx. 8.5 X IO”) RNA species. The virion RNAs of a number of RNA viruses have been shown to contain a poly(A) segment linked covalently to the 3’.terminus of the RNA, although so far no reports have indicated the presence of such sequences in the genomes of coronaviruses. However, in this paper, we show that the virion RNA of IBV is poiyadenylated.