POLYADENYLATION AND REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION OF INFLUENZA VIRAL-RNA

The polyadenylation of Fowl Plague Viral RNA and of Influenza A/Victoria Viral RNA using E.coli poly(A) polymerase and the subsequent reverse transcription of the polyadenylated species is reported. We have shown that all 8 genome fragments are adenylated and that an average of 25-30 adenylic acid residues per molecule is sufficient for maximal transcription with reverse transcriptase. The cDNA product is 95Z sensitive to S1-nuclease and hybridisation analysis against viral RNA reveals it to be a faithful copy of the RNA. Amongst the transcription products are long, discrete copies of genes 1-8, the lengths of which are comparable with those of the vRNA determined by electrophoresis on formamide acrylamide gels. These single-stranded cDNAs have been further transcribed to form double-stranded products with hair-pin structures at one end. Analysis of this material on native acrylamide gels revealed some DNA bands corresponding to the predicted sizes for genes 4-8. © 1979 Information Retrieval Limited.