Complete nucleotide sequence and genomic organization of a primate calicivirus, Pan-1

The primate calicivirus, Pan-1, was originally isolated from several primat e species. It displayed typical calicivirus morphology by electron microsco py. We determined the genomic sequence of Pan-1 by cDNA cloning and direct RNA sequencing. Pan-1 shares a similar genomic organization and a high degr ee of sequence identity with feline caliciviruses. The Pan-1 genome contain s 8304 nucleotides, plus a poly-A tail, and is longer than any other calici virus strains with a completely known sequence. The extra sequences of Pan- 1 include a unique 424-nucleotide sequence at the 5' end of ORF1, additiona l amino acids at the N-terminus of the capsid, and a longer 3' UTR.