THE NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF THE HEMAGGLUTININ GENE OF THE LA STRAIN OFRINDERPEST VIRUS, A SEED VIRUS-STRAIN USED FOR VACCINE PRODUCTION IN JAPAN

The sequence of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of thr TA strain of rinder pest virus (RPV) has been determined hv the direct sequencing method. The amino acid sequence of the protein which it encodes displays conse rvation of its structural determinants with the HA proteins of the oth er RPV strains. The LA-HA protein was shown to have three conserved po tential N-linked glycosylation sites, compared with four such sites in the HA protein of L strain. The glycosylation site at position 200 on the L-HA molecule is absent from its LA-HA counterpart, due to a lysi ne for an asparagine substitution. The HA proteins of L and LA strains were the same molecular weight as judged by mobility on SDS-PAGE, sug gesting that the site at position 200 is not used for glycosylation.