CHARACTERIZATION OF A BORNA-DISEASE VIRUS GLYCOPROTEIN, GP18

Borna disease virus is a nonsegmented negative-strand RNA virus that c auses neurologic disease in a wide variety of animal hosts. Here we de scribe identification and characterization of the first glycoprotein i n this viral system. The 18-kDa glycoprotein, gp18, has been purified from infected rat brain. Isolation and micro-sequencing of this protei n allowed identification of a 16.2-kDa open reading frame in the viral antigenome. Lectin binding and endoglycosidase sensitivity assays ind icate that gp18 is an unusual N-linked glycoprotein.