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. 2000 Nov;74(21):9972-9.
doi: 10.1128/jvi.74.21.9972-9979.2000.

The exceptionally large genome of Hendra virus: support for creation of a new genus within the family Paramyxoviridae

L F Wang  1 , M Yu, E Hansson, L I Pritchard, B Shiell, W P Michalski, B T Eaton
Affiliations

The exceptionally large genome of Hendra virus: support for creation of a new genus within the family Paramyxoviridae

L F Wang et al. J Virol. 2000 Nov.

Abstract

An outbreak of acute respiratory disease in Hendra, a suburb of Brisbane, Australia, in September 1994 resulted in the deaths of 14 racing horses and a horse trainer. The causative agent was a new member of the family Paramyxoviridae. The virus was originally called Equine morbillivirus but was renamed Hendra virus (HeV) when molecular characterization highlighted differences between it and members of the genus Morbillivirus. Less than 5 years later, the closely related Nipah virus (NiV) emerged in Malaysia, spread rapidly through the pig population, and caused the deaths of over 100 people. We report the characterization of the HeV L gene and protein, the genome termini, and gene boundary sequences, thus completing the HeV genome sequence. In the highly conserved region of the L protein, the HeV sequence GDNE differs from the GDNQ found in almost all other nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA viruses. HeV has an absolutely conserved intergenic trinucleotide sequence, 3'-GAA-5', and highly conserved transcription initiation and termination sequences similar to those of respiroviruses and morbilliviruses. The large genome size (18,234 nucleotides), the unique complementary genome terminal sequences of HeV, and the limited homology with other members of the Paramyxoviridae suggest that HeV, together with NiV, should be classified in a new genus in this family. The large genome of HeV also fills a gap in the spectrum of genome sizes observed with NNS RNA virus genomes. As such, it provides a further piece in the puzzle of NNS RNA virus evolution.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
(A) Alignment of four polymerase motifs (A to D) located within domain III of L proteins from selected Paramyxovirinae members. Residues identical in all viruses are shown as dots. Abbreviations: HeV, Hendra virus; TPMV, Tupaia paramyxovirus; MeV, measles virus; CDV, canine distemper virus; SeV, Sendai virus; PIV3, human parainfluenza virus type 3; NDV, Newcastle disease virus; MuV, mumps virus; SV5, simian virus 5. See Table 4 for GenBank accession numbers for the sequences used in the alignment. (B) A more extensive alignment of the motif C sequence to include viruses from all four families of the order Mononegavirales. The unique E residue in the GDNE sequence of HeV and TPMV L proteins is indicated by an asterisk. Abbreviations and GenBank accession numbers for viruses not listed above are as follows: RPV, rinderpest virus (Z30697); PIV2, human parainfluenza virus type 2 (X57559); RSV, respiratory syncytial virus (U39661); APV, avian paramyxovirus (U65312); RAV, rabies virus (M31046); VSV, vesicular stomatitis virus (J02428); MBGV, Marburg virus (Z12132); EBOV, Ebola virus (AF086833); BDV, Borna disease virus (U04608).
FIG. 2
FIG. 2
Alignment of genome end sequences. (A) Alignment of the 3′ leader and 5′ trailer sequences of HeV. (B) Alignment of 3′ leader sequences of selected Paramyxovirinae members. The unique HeV residue at position 4 is indicated by an asterisk. The downward pointing triangle indicates the N gene transcription start site. Abbreviations are given in the Fig. 1 legend; SV41, simian virus 41 (GenBank accession no. X64275).
FIG. 3
FIG. 3
Genome structure and size comparison of selected members from the four families within the order Mononegavirales. Genome size (in nucleotides) is given in parentheses for each virus. The sizes are relative to that of the Ebola virus. Only genes coding for major structural proteins are shown, using the following functional grouping: nucleocapsid proteins (solid box), proteins associated with RNA polymerase and/or ribonucleoprotein complex (shaded box), matrix proteins (hatched box), and membrane proteins (open box). See the Fig. 1 legend for GenBank accession numbers.
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