Molecular characterization of the genes coding for glycoprotein and L protein of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus strain MX

Abstract

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is the prototype Arenavirus with ambisense coding strategy. We have previously described a new MX strain LCMV and determined the primary structure of the genes coding for the nucleoprotein and RING finger Z protein. In this report, we describe amplification and sequencing of the entire coding sequences of additional MX genes, the glycoprotein precursor (GPC) and L protein. The obtained MX GPC cDNA sequence was 1,615 nucleotides long and contained an ORF, which encodes the GPC precursor of 498 amino acids. MX L polymerase cDNA sequence was 6,668 nucleotides long and predicted ORF encodes the L polymerase of 2,209 amino acids. Nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were compared with the known GPC and L sequences and the comparison revealed that both genes shared the highest amino acid identity with Armstrong strain. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that MX represents a separate LCMV strain. The GPC and L genes products contained several characteristic conserved regions. On the other hand, we have observed numerous differences in predicted protein sequences, which distinguish MX LCMV from other LCMV strains and might be of potential biological significance.

The Nucleoprotein of Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Facilitates Spread of Persistent Infection through Stabilization of the Keratin Network

“…Analysis of the MX LCMV coding regions has revealed sequence differences supporting the view that MX is a separate LCMV strain (9,25,32). MX LCMV does not cause any cellular damage, and its host range is restricted to only few cell lines.…”

“…It is transmissible by direct cell-to-cell contact or cell extract but not by filtered medium of infected cells (25). Furthermore, cells infected with MX LCMV accumulate high cytoplasmic levels of NP and ZP and contain deleted RNAs (9,25,32).…”

“…It is transmissible by direct cell-to-cell contact or cell extract but not by filtered medium of infected cells (25). Furthermore, cells infected with MX LCMV accumulate high cytoplasmic levels of NP and ZP and contain deleted RNAs (9,25,32).Despite NP being the most abundant viral protein expressed in persistently infected cells and a major component of the minimal infection unit of the virus with a central role in transcription and replication of the LCMV genome (23), there are …”

Hypoxia Induces the Gene Expression and Extracellular Transmission of Persistent Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus

“…Sequence analysis of the coding regions confirmed that MX represents a distinct strain of LCMV (14,31,37). The biological features of LCMV MX exhibited several similarities with those of other persistent LCMV strains.…”

“…Recently we showed that MX NP binds and stabilizes keratin 1, a part of an intermediate filament network, and thereby facilitates LCMV transmission via cell-cell contacts (22). LCMV MX-infected cells accumulate high cytoplasmic levels of NP and Z and full-length as well as deleted viral RNAs (14,31,37). In comparison with other LCMV strains, MX has a more restricted host range (31).…”