A general strategy for cloning double-stranded RNA: nucleotide sequence of the Simian-11 rotavirus gene 8

Using Simian-11 rotavirus RNA, a strategy has been developed for the production of full length cloned copies of the genes of double-stranded (dsRNA) viruses. Genomic RNA segments were polyadenylated and reverse transcribed to yield a mixture of full length cDNA copies of both possible polarities. The cDNAs were annealed, filled in to complete any partial copies, tailed and inserted into the PstI site of pBR322 using dG/dC tailing. Cloned rotavirus cDNA gene copies were assigned to genomic RNA segments by Northern hybridization. The complete sequence of gene 8 which codes for NCVP3, a non-structural protein of SA11 rotavirus, was determined from a cloned gene copy. It is 1059 bases in length and has an open reading frame which could code for a protein containing 317 amino acids. The apparent 5' and 3' terminal non coding regions are 46 and 59 bases in length, respectively. The sequence ATGTGACCOH at the 3' end of the plus strand is conserved in four of the eleven genes examined. The cloning procedures used should be generally applicable to viruses with segmented dsRNA genomes.