Complete sequence of the Sendai virus NP gene from a cloned insert.

A DNA molecule representing all but the three terminal bases of the Sendai virus nucleoprotein (NP) gene, copied from viral mRNA, was inserted into pBR322. The NP insert comprised 1673 bases. The first AUG protein initiation codon, at position 65, began an open reading frame of 1551 bases, encoding a protein of 517 amino acids with an amino acid composition corresponding to previously published data. The NP gene sequence determined in the present work is similar to that described by Shioda et al. [ Nucl . Acids Res. 11, 7317 (1983)], but there are 14 amino acid differences that probably reflect differences in virus strains. The predicted secondary structure of the NP molecule and the locations within that structure of potential protease cleavage sites are in accord with structural domains previously defined by controlled protease digestion.