EBOLA PROTEIN ANALYSES FOR THE DETERMINATION OF GENETIC ORGANIZATION

Amino-acid sequencing of the purified major nucleoprotein (NP), VP 35 and VP 40 from purified Ebola virus proved that they are the protein p roducts of the first three genes, and that the open reading frame (ORF ) of the NP begins at nucleotide 470. Because of the many unusual feat ures of the ORFs of Ebola virus, we thought that our conclusions shoul d be substantiated. Comparisons of in vitro-translation products to pu rified viral proteins were used to demonstrate conclusively that the N P, VP 35 and VP 40 were the protein products of genes one, two, and th ree, respectively. Studies using antibodies to synthetic peptides matc hing the N- and C-termini of the deduced sequences from these genes co nfirmed these conclusions and that the ORF for the NP begins at nucleo tide 470. Subsequent studies confirmed that VP 30 is encoded by the fi fth gene.