LOCALIZATION AND FUNCTIONS OF JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS-VIRUS NONSTRUCTURAL PROTEINS NS3 AND NS5 FOR VIRAL-RNA SYNTHESIS IN THE INFECTED-CELLS

Recently it has been reported that Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)-s pecific RNAs can be synthesized in vitro in the subcellular fraction i ncluding outer-nuclear membrane (Takegami and Hotta, 1989). The result s of Western blot analysis and indirect immunofluorescence test using two kinds of monospecific antisera against JEV nonstructural proteins NS3 and NS5 showed that NS3 and NS5 were membrane-associated proteins and formed the complex at the perinuclear site in the infected cells. Both antisera against NS3 and NS5 inhibited in vitro RNA synthesis. Th ese results suggest that NS5 and NS3 play important role(s) in flavivi rus RNA replication.