Characterization of the Viral RNA Species of Prototype Dengue Viruses

Abstract

Dengue virus isolates have been grown in the Igarashi clone C6/36 Aedes albopictus cells in amounts suitable for biochemical studies. Oligonucleotide fingerprint analyses have been used to characterize the virion 40 S RNA species of the four prototype dengue (DEN) serotype viruses: DEN 1, Hawaiian strain; DEN 2, New Guinea C strain (both insect and mouse brain passaged derivatives); DEN 3, H-87 strain; and DEN 4, H-241 strain. Comparisons of the largest oligonucleotides derived by ribonuclease T1 digestion of these 40 S DEN virion RNA species indicate that there are few, if any, large oligonucleotides that are homologous between any two of the four dengue prototype strains. Preliminary analyses of the 40 S RNA 5′ terminal sequence of DEN 3 virion RNA indicate that it has the composition of m7GpppAmpXp.