Matrix protein gene sequence of vaccine and vaccine-associated strains of mumps virus

Comparison of the matrix (M) protein gene sequences of various vaccine-associated mumps virus isolates reveals that in contrast to the SH gene the M gene is highly conserved and its sequence is probably not affected during virus attenuation. Mumps virus is a member of the paramyxovirus group. The genome is negative-sense, linear ssRNA, consisting of 15384 nucleotides (nt). The mumps virus genome contains information for seven genes (3 ' N-P-M-F-SH-HN-L 5'). The protein products of six of the seven genes have been characterized and their estimated M r values determined. They are the nucleocapsid protein (N; 3//,. 70K), the phosphoprotein (P; M,. 45K), the matrix protein (M; M r 39K), the fusion protein (F; Mr 69K), the haemagglutinin-neuraminidase protei