Nucleotide sequences of ribosome recgonition sites in messenger RNAs of vesicular stomatitis virus.

The ribosome recognition sites from vesicular stomatitis virus mRNAs have been isolated by ribosome protection of the mixture of viral mRNAs followed by complete separation of the protected sites by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The sites from the four major mRNAs each contain a single AUG initiation codon, indicating that they are true initiation sites, and the complete sequences of the N, NS, and G mRNA sites are reported. The sites do not all share common features nor do they have significant regions complementary to the known sequence at the 3'-terminus of 18S rRNA. The N and NS mRNAs show anine-nucleotide homology in the first eleven nucleotides extending from the capped 5'-end.