| Abstract: | Sequence analysis of the RNA genome termini of various vesiculovirus standard and defective interfering (DI) particles demonstrated that some virus regulatory sequences and domains of virus N protein are highly conserved while others show considerable divergence. Clearly, distinct RNA signal sequences and protein-coding regions of these virus genomes have quite different evolutionary pressures or constraints. Terminal regions of DI-particle RNA genomes of these viruses were found to possess self-complementary stems at the RNA termini, demonstrating the conservation of this DI-particle structural feature throughout the vesiculovirus group. A high degree of conservation of the 3'-terminal sequences of recent and historic isolates of vesicular stomatitis virus New Jersey was also demonstrated. |
