The structure of two subgenomic RNAs from human influenza virus A/PR/8/34

The nucleotide sequences of two subgenomic RNA segments from influenza virus A/PR/8/34 have been determined by cloning viral cDNA into the vector M13mp7. Sequence analysis was facilitated by a re-cloning strategy which takes advantage of both wild-type and amber derivatives of the M13 vector. The RNA species (444 and 480 nucleotides) contain the 5' and 3' termini of segment 1 and therefore derive by simple internal deletions of this segment. However, these species are not exact copies of the terminal regions of the progenitor segment but contain a few base changes. These differences suggest that after these RNAs have arisen, their sequences can drift, presumably reflecting a lower selective pressure than on the standard RNA segments.