The genome of respiratory syncytial virus is a negative-stranded RNA that codes for at least seven mRNA species

Abstract

The RNA from purified respiratory syncytial (RS) virions and the RNAs from RS virus-infected cells were isolated and characterized. The RNA from RS virions was found to be a unique species of single-stranded RNA of approximately 5 x 10(6) daltons. Specific annealing experiments demonstrated that at least 93% of the virion RNA was of negative (nonmessage) polarity. Eight major and three minor species of virus-specific RNA were detected in the cytoplasm of RS virus-infected HEp-2 cells. The largest intracellular RNA species comigrated with RNA from purified virions, was not polyadenylated, and was synthesized only in the presence of concomitant protein synthesis. The seven major smaller species of RNA were synthesized in the presence of an inhibitor of protein synthesis. These RNAs were all polyadenylated and were shown to be RS virus specific by their ability to anneal specifically to purified virion RNA. The sum of the sizes of the major RS virus-specific polyadenylated RNAs was sufficient to account for the coding capacity of the RS virus genome (within the limits of reliability of the methods we have used to determine size).

Effects of mutations in the gene-start and gene-end sequence motifs on transcription of monocistronic and dicistronic minigenomes of respiratory syncytial virus

“…In addition, the RNA patterns of the two minigenomes which had an intact trailer region (H15 and C66) contained a band of poly(A) Ϫ mRNA (Fig. 9C, lanes 2U and 3U) which often is seen both with minigenomes and in natural infection (20) and might arise either from termination by the RSV polymerase without poly(A) addition or from posttranscriptional trimming of the poly(A) tail. This species was not evident for the two minigenomes in which the greater part of the trailer region had been deleted (HG120 and 112), presumably because the size difference between the nonpolyadenylated mRNA and the antigenome was insufficient to be resolved by agarose gel electrophoresis (Fig.…”

Epidemiology of respiratory viruses in Saudi Arabia: toward a complete picture

“…This order includes viruses with a negativesense, non-segmented, and single-stranded RNA genome [82,83]. The HRSV genome ranges from 15,191 to 15,226 nucleotides in length [84] and codes for ten subgenomic mRNAs [85]. Based on the heterogeneity of the attachment glycoprotein gene, HRSV strains are classified antigenically into A and B subgroups [86].…”

Viral nucleic acid analysis with PCR in lacrimal tissue and nasal swab samples of primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction cases

“…RSV is a segmental, negatively polarized RNA virus. 15 It has the capability of affecting the cytokine production profile of adaptive immune system cells by shifting the T helper (Th) 1 / Th 2 balance toward Th 2 cytokines and immunoglobulin E. 16 It has also been shown to alter the biological activity of macrophages. 17 Furthermore, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), a profibrotic enzyme has been shown to increase in the epithelium after an RSV infection.…”