Recombination between Sindbis virus RNAs.

Abstract

The Sindbis virus RNA genome is divided into two modules--one coding for the nonstructural protein genes and the other coding for the structural protein genes. In our studies of recombination, the two parental RNAs were defective in different modules. Analysis of the recombinant RNAs demonstrated that the parental RNAs each contributed its intact module and that the crossovers occurred within the defective modules. The recombinational events giving rise to infectious virion RNAs could create deletions, rearrangements or insertions as long as they occurred outside of the functional module. These crossovers produced RNA genomes that contained two functional subgenomic RNA promoters.