Nucleotide Sequence Analysis of the NS Genes of Wild-Type and Three Complementation Group E Mutants of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus New Jersey

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is the prototype of the family Rhabdoviridae. There are two serotypes of VSV -Indiana (IND) and New Jersey (NJ) which can be differentiated from one another on the basis of little or no cross neutralisation using antibody raised against the virion glycoprotein. VSV has a genome consisting of a non-segmented single strand of negative sense RNA approximately 11,000 bases in length. The genome codes for five proteins: L (large), M (matrix), NS (non-structural), N (nucleocapsid) and G (glycoprotein). The L, NS and N proteins associate with the genomic RNA and form the ribonucleoprotein core. N protein is the major structural component of the ribonucleoprotein core, the L and NS proteins function in viral transcription and replication; G and M comprise the viral envelope. M protein is believed to be located on the inner side of the envelope and is the group-specific antigen. G is the transmembrane glycoprotein and forms the spikes that project from the virion