Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1976 May;18(2):738–744. doi: 10.1128/jvi.18.2.738-744.1976

RNAs of influenza A, B, and C viruses.

M B Ritchey, P Palese, E D Kilbourne
PMCID: PMC515602  PMID: 944790

Abstract

The nucleic acids of influenza A, B, and C viruses were compared. Susceptibility to nucleases demonstrates that influenza C virus, just as influenza A and B viruses, possesses single-stranded RNA as its genome. The base compositions of the RNAs of influenza A, B, and influenza C virus are almost identical and comparative analysis on polyacrylamide gels shows that the genome of influenza C/GL/1167/54 virus, like that of the RNAs of influenza A and B viruses, is segmented. Eight distinct RNA bands were found for influenza A/PR/8/34 virus and for influenza B/Lee/40 virus. The RNA of influenza C/GL/1167/54 virus separated into at least four segments. The total molecular weights of the RNA of influenza A/PR/8/34 and B/Lee/40 virus were calculated to be 5.29 X 10(6) and 6.43 X 10(6), respectively. A minimum value of 4.67 X 10(6) daltons was obtained for influenza C/GL/1167/54 virus RNA. The data suggest that influenza C viruses are true members of the influenza virus group.

Full text

PDF
738

Images in this article

741Image
on p.741

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Agrawal H. O., Bruening G. Isolation of high-molecular-weight, P32-labeled influenza virus ribonucleic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Apr;55(4):818–825. doi: 10.1073/pnas.55.4.818. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bellett A. J. Preliminary classification of viruses based on quantitative comparisons of viral nucleic acids. J Virol. 1967 Apr;1(2):245–259. doi: 10.1128/jvi.1.2.245-259.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bishop D. H., Obijeski J. F., Simpson R. W. Transcription of the influenza ribonucleic acid genome by a virion polymerase. II. Nature of the in vitro polymerase product. J Virol. 1971 Jul;8(1):74–80. doi: 10.1128/jvi.8.1.74-80.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brown F., Martin S. J., Cartwright B., Crick J. The ribonucleic acids of the infective and interfering components of vesicular stomatitis virus. J Gen Virol. 1967 Oct;1(4):479–486. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-1-4-479. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Deusberg P. H., Robinson W. S. On the structure and replication of influenza virus. J Mol Biol. 1967 May 14;25(3):383–405. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(67)90193-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Duesberg P. H., Robinson W. S. Isolation of the nucleic acid of Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Sep;54(3):794–800. doi: 10.1073/pnas.54.3.794. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FRANCIS T., Jr, QUILLIGAN J. J., Jr, MINUSE E. Identification of another epidemic respiratory disease. Science. 1950 Oct 27;112(2913):495–497. doi: 10.1126/science.112.2913.495. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Floyd R. W., Stone M. P., Joklik W. K. Separation of single-stranded ribonucleic acids by acrylamide-agarose-urea gel electrophoresis. Anal Biochem. 1974 Jun;59(2):599–609. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(74)90313-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HIRST G. K. The relationship of the receptors of a new strain of virus to those of the mumps-NDV-influenza group. J Exp Med. 1950 Feb;91(2):177–184. doi: 10.1084/jem.91.2.177. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Horst J., Content J., Mandeles S., Fraenkel-Conrat H., Duesberg P. Distinct oligonucleotide patterns of distinct influenza virus RNA's. J Mol Biol. 1972 Aug 21;69(2):209–215. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(72)90226-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kendal A. P. A comparison of "influenza C" with prototype myxoviruses: receptor-destroycing activity (neuraminidase) and structural polypeptides. Virology. 1975 May;65(1):87–99. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(75)90009-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kingsbury D. W., Webster R. G. Cell-free translation of influenza virus messenger RNA. Virology. 1973 Dec;56(2):654–657. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(73)90069-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Krug R. M. Cytoplasmic and nucleoplasmic viral RNPs in influenza virus-infected MDCK cells. Virology. 1972 Oct;50(1):103–113. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(72)90350-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lewandowski L. J., Content J., Leppla S. H. Characterization of the subunit structure of the ribonucleic acid genome of influenza virus. J Virol. 1971 Nov;8(5):701–707. doi: 10.1128/jvi.8.5.701-707.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. MINUSE E., QUILLIGAN J. J., Jr, FRANCIS T., Jr Type C influenza virus. I. Studies of the virus and its distribution. J Lab Clin Med. 1954 Jan;43(1):31–42. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. McConkey E. H., Hopkins J. W. Molecular weights of some HeLa ribosomal RNA's. J Mol Biol. 1969 Feb 14;39(3):545–550. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(69)90144-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Newman J. F., Rowlands D. J., Brown F. A physico-chemical sub-grouping of the mammalian picornaviruses. J Gen Virol. 1973 Feb;18(2):171–180. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-18-2-171. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. PFEFFERKORN E. R., HUNTER H. S. PURIFICATION AND PARTIAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SINDBIS VIRUS. Virology. 1963 Jul;20:433–445. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(63)90092-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Palese P., Schulman J. L. Differences in RNA patterns of influenza A viruses. J Virol. 1976 Mar;17(3):876–884. doi: 10.1128/jvi.17.3.876-884.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Robinson W. S., Baluda M. A. The nucleic acid from avian myeloblastosis virus compared with the RNA from the Bryan strain of Rous sarcoma virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Dec;54(6):1686–1692. doi: 10.1073/pnas.54.6.1686. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Roy P., Clark H. F., Madore H. P., Bishop D. H. RNA polymerase associated with virions of pike fry rhabdovirus. J Virol. 1975 Feb;15(2):338–347. doi: 10.1128/jvi.15.2.338-347.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. SCHOLTISSEK C., ROTT R. BEHAVIOR OF VIRUS-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES IN TISSUE CULTURES INFECTED WITH MYXOVIRUSES AFTER CHEMICAL CHANGES OF THE VIRAL RIBONUCLEIC ACID. Virology. 1964 Feb;22:169–176. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(64)90001-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Stanley W. M., Jr, Bock R. M. Isolation and physical properties of the ribosomal ribonucleic acid of Escherichia coli. Biochemistry. 1965 Jul;4(7):1302–1311. doi: 10.1021/bi00883a014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. TAYLOR R. M. A further note on 1233 influenza C virus. Arch Gesamte Virusforsch. 1951;4(4):485–500. doi: 10.1007/BF01241168. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Tobita K., Kilbourne E. D. Genetic recombination for antigenic markers of antigenically different strains of influenza B virus. J Virol. 1974 Feb;13(2):347–352. doi: 10.1128/jvi.13.2.347-352.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Weiss S. B. ENZYMATIC INCORPORATION OF RIBONUCLEOSIDE TRIPHOSPHATES INTO THE INTERPOLYNUCLEOTIDE LINKAGES OF RIBONUCLEIC ACID. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1960 Aug;46(8):1020–1030. doi: 10.1073/pnas.46.8.1020. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES