Nucleotide sequence at the 3' end of Japanese encephalitis virus genomic RNA.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus genomic RNAs were purified from virions. Two hundred nucleotides at the 3' end of JE virus genomic RNA were directly sequenced by using reverse transcriptase. The nucleotide sequence at the 3' end of the viral RNA was conserved among four kinds of JE virus strains. The sequence has no AU-rich region that is present at the 3' termini of alphavirus RNAs. We also compared the nucleotide sequences at the 3' ends of RNAs from three different flaviviruses and found several common sequence elements. A secondary structure at the 3' end of JE virus genomic RNA was proposed that may be common among flavivirus genomic RNAs. Such structures and other common stretches of nucleotide sequences may be related to the biological properties of flaviviruses.