MOLECULAR-CLONING AND SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS OF BOVINE RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS MESSENGER-RNA ENCODING THE MAJOR NUCLEOCAPSID PROTEIN

The nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the major nucleocapsid (N) protein of bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) has been determined. The N mRNA is 1196 nucleotides long with a single, large open reading frame. The derived polypeptide has 391 amino acids corresponding to a calculated molecular weight of 42,600 Da. This is in agreement with the molecular weight of 43,000 Da determined for the BRSV N protein by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of BRSV N gene with the sequence of the N gene of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) revealed a homology of 80.7%. There is a 93.3% homology at the amino acid level between the N proteins of BRSV and HRSV. The 5′- and 3′-terminal untranslated sequences that are conserved among HRSV mRNAs were also identified in the N mRNA of BRSV. The results indicate that the N genes are highly conserved in the bovine and human strains of respiratory syncytial virus. © 1991.