Identification and predicted sequence of a previously unrecognized small hydrophobic protein, SH, of the paramyxovirus simian virus 5

Abstract

A previously unrecognized gene (SH) was identified on the virion RNA of the paramyxovirus simian virus 5 between the genes for the fusion protein and the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase. An SH mRNA of 292 nucleotides (plus polyadenylate residues), transcribed from the SH gene, was identified. The SH mRNA contains a single open reading frame which encodes a polypeptide of 44 amino acids with a MW of 5012. The SH polypeptide is predicted to contain an extensive hydrophobic region. This protein was identified in simian virus 5-infected cells, and it was shown to be encoded by the SH mRNA by in vitro translation of size-fractionated mRNA species, hybrid-arrest translation and hybrid-selection translation.