GENOMIC ORGANIZATION OF BORNA-DISEASE VIRUS

Borna disease virus is a neurotropic negative-strand RNA virus that in fects a wide range of vertebrate hosts, causing disturbances in moveme nt and behavior. We have cloned and sequenced the 8910-nucleotide vira l genome by using RNA from Borna disease virus particles. The viral ge nome has complementary 3' and 5' termini and contains antisense inform ation for five open reading frames. Homology to Filoviridae, Paramyxov iridae, and Rhabdoviridae is found in both cistronic and extracistroni c regions. Northern analysis indicates that the virus transcribes mono - and polycistronic RNAs and uses termination/polyadenylylation signal s reminiscent of those observed in other negative-strand RNA viruses. Borna disease virus is likely to represent a previously unrecognized g enus, bornaviruses, or family, Bornaviridae, within the order Mononega virales.