Translational requirement of La Crosse virus S-mRNA synthesis: in vivo studies

Abstract

By using methods to isolate cytoplasmic RNAs which limit degradation, the effect of drugs which inhibit protein synthesis on the accumulation of La Crosse virus plus-strand S RNAs in vivo has been studied. Cycloheximide and puromycin treatment of infected cultures caused an abortive transcript of ca. 205 nucleotides (nt) to accumulate, whereas pactamycin led to the appearance of an RNA which was slightly shorter (ca. 200 nt). Both the 205- and 200-nt RNAs contained the same range of host primers at their 5' end, but their 3' ends mapped at ca. positions 175 and 165, respectively. Examination of the sequence in this region and at the mature mRNA termination site (position 886) suggests that the sequence YAAAAAT(A)GCAG is involved in transcription termination.