VIRAL STRUCTURAL PROTEINS AND GENOME ANALYSES OF THE RHABDOVIRUS OF PENAEID SHRIMP (RPS)

The viral structural proteins of the recently isolated rhabdovirus of penaeid shrimp (RPS), and that of the mammalian vesicular stomatitis v irus (VSV) and 3 other fish rhabdoviruses, infectious hematopoietic ne crosis virus (IHNV), viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and rha bdovirus carpio (RC), were comparatively analyzed by sodium dodecyl su lfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot p rocedures. The number of major bands identified and the profile of the viral polypeptides of RPS resembled that of VSV and RC but were diffe rent from that of IHNV and VHSV. Western blot analysis using polyclona l antiserum against RPS identified the viral origin of the 4 major pro teins and an extra protein of RPS. Also, the analysis indicated that a lthough RPS is closely related to RC, it is only partially related to IHNV, VHSV, and VSV. The genomic RNA of RPS extracted by the pronase-S DS-urea method and analyzed by polyacrylamide-agarose gel electrophore sis was determined to be a single component having a molecular weight of 3.6 x 10(6) daltons.