Determination of the henipavirus phosphoprotein gene mRNA editing frequencies and detection of the C, V and W proteins of Nipah virus in virus-infected cells

J Gen Virol. 2009 Feb;90(Pt 2):398-404. doi: 10.1099/vir.0.007294-0.

Abstract

The henipaviruses, Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV), are highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxoviruses. Like many other paramyxoviruses, henipaviruses employ a process of co-transcriptional mRNA editing during transcription of the phosphoprotein (P) gene to generate additional mRNAs encoding the V and W proteins. The C protein is translated from the P mRNA, but in an alternate reading frame. Sequence analysis of multiple, cloned mRNAs showed that the mRNA editing frequencies of the P genes of the henipaviruses are higher than those reported for other paramyxoviruses. Antisera to synthetic peptides from the P, V, W and C proteins of NiV were generated to study their expression in infected cells. All proteins were detected in both infected cells and purified virions. In infected cells, the W protein was detected in the nucleus while P, V and C were found in the cytoplasm.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Henipavirus / genetics*
  • Immunoassay
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phosphoproteins / genetics*
  • Plasmids
  • RNA Editing
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Viral Proteins / analysis
  • Viral Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • C protein, Hendra virus
  • Phosphoproteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • V protein, Hendra virus
  • Viral Proteins