Primary structure, gene organization and polypeptide expression of poliovirus RNA

Abstract

The primary structure of the poliovirus genome has been determined. The RNA molecule is 7,433 nucleotides long, polyadenylated at the 3' terminus, and covalently linked to a small protein (VPg) at the 5' terminus. An open reading frame of 2,207 consecutive triplets spans over 89% of the nucleotide sequence and codes for the viral polyprotein NCVPOO. Twelve viral polypeptides have been mapped by amino acid sequence analysis and were found to be proteolytic cleavage products of the polyprotein, cleavages occurring predominantly at Gln-Gly pairs.

Basepairing with 18S ribosomal RNA in internal initiation of translation

“…Of all AUGs present in the P2 and P3 region of the coding region, possibly leading to proteins of detectable size, three are preceded by a polyY tract comparable to the polyY-AUGY situation in the S'UTR. These polyY tracts are positioned approximately 20 nucleotides upstream of the AUG codons, and interestingly, the sequences around these three AUGs (at positions 7160, 6653, and 3629 [35]) can form 9 or 10 basepairs with 18s rRNA. Prevention by La of recognition of these AUGs as initiation codons, similar to the sitiuation for AUGY in the 5'UTRs of the entero-and rhinoviruses would decrease aberrant initiation.…”

Structure, function and evolution of picornaviruses

“…Since 1981, when the Mahoney strain of poliovirus type 1 became the first picornavirus to be sequenced (Kitamura et al, 1981), many of the viruses have been analysed in molecular detail giving a wealth of information. Representatives of all the genera have now been studied and over 30 complete sequences have been published (see Table 1).…”

Nucleic acid sequence of the region of the genome encoding capsid protein VP1 of neurovirulent and attenuated type 3 polioviruses

“…For the purposes of illustration, the published amino acid sequences of the corresponding regions of poliovirus serotype 1 strains Pl/Mahoney [8,9] and Pl/Sabin [7] are included in Fig.2, showing the seven amino acid differences (ringed) between these two strains, including the cluster of five changes within nineteen amino acids mentioned in the introduction.…”