Nucleotide sequence of the tick-borne orthomyxo-like Dhori(India(1313)61 virus membrane protein gene

The complete nucleotide sequence of the sixth largest segment of ssRNA (RNA-6) of the tick-borne orthomyxo-like Dhori/India/1313/61 virus was determined by using cloned cDNA derived from infected cell mRNA and dideoxynucleotide sequencing of viral RNA. RNA-6 contains 962 nucleotides and is predicted to encode a protein of 270 amino acids with an M r of 30498 in its first open reading frame (ORF). This protein is likely to represent the viral membrane (M1) protein, based on its predicted M r of 29000 (estimated by PAGE), its relatively high abundance in infected cells and amino acid composition analysis. In addition, a second ORF was found which overlaps the M1 protein gene sequence by 327 nucleotides. This additional reading frame, in the +3 frame, potentially can encode a protein of 141 amino acids. However, S1 nuclease analysis of RNA-6 mRNA from infected cells indicated that there was only a single abundant RNA species corresponding in size to the full-length genomic RNA (0.96 kb). Further studies are needed to determine whether expression of the second ORF occurs and how that expression might arise.