Analysis of conserved ambisense sequences within GB virus C

J Infect Dis. 1998 Oct;178(4):1185-8. doi: 10.1086/515681.

Abstract

No analysis has been done of the ambisense of GB virus C (GBV-C). When the anti-genomes of 16 reported sequences of GBV-C were analyzed, nucleotide codons 1758 and 1402 within the anti-genome were conserved initiation and stop codons, respectively. Nucleotide sequences were also determined within the same region of 22 GBV-C strains. The anti-genomes of 38 sequences were translated and a consensus sequence was determined. In accordance with the consensus sequence, overlapping peptides were synthesized and used for the detection of anti-synthetic peptide antibodies by ELISA. The positivity of antibodies among sera with GBV-C RNA was significantly higher than among sera without GBV-C RNA (66.7% vs. 15.6%), regardless of the simultaneous presence of hepatitis B surface antigen or antibodies to hepatitis C virus (P < .05). These results indicated that a novel protein associated with GBV-C might be expressed from the ambisense of this virus.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Base Sequence
  • Conserved Sequence*
  • Flaviviridae / genetics*
  • Flaviviridae / immunology*
  • Hepatitis, Viral, Human / blood*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Sequence Analysis
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Viral Proteins