# HEPATITIS VIRUS RNA SYNTHESIS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 1988 · $220,187

## Abstract

The overall objective of this renewal grant application is to understand
the mechanism of coronavirus RNA synthesis using mouse hepatitis virus
(MHV) as a model.  This virus group is responsible for several severe
diseases in livestocks and humans, including a possible etiological
association with multiple sclerosis.  The molecular biology of this virus
group includes several unique features, including a novel mechanism of RNA
synthesis, which involves leader RNA-primed transcription.  This proposal
is designed to attempt to provide further understanding into this unique
mechanism.  The specific aims in this proposal include the following:  1)
To characterize the properties, structure and biological functions of the
MHV leader RNA by determining the protein species bound and the sequence
heterogeneity of the leader RNA.  We also want to determine whether the
leader RNA can be freely reassorted and attempt to characterize the
negative-stranded leader RNA.  2) To compare the sequences of intergenic
regions in the genomic RNA and 5'end sequences of mRNAs by cDNA cloning of
the genomic and mRNAs.  This approach will determine how the leader RNA is
joined to the body sequences of mRNAs.  3) To further characterize the
structure of the negative-stranded RNA template by hybridization analysis
using a positive-stranded leader DNA probe.  4) To characterize the RNA
recombinant viruses by cDNA cloning and sequencing of the recombinant
viruses.  We will also attempt to isolate more recombinant viruses in order
to characterize the mechanism of RNA recombination and to determine the
sequence requirement of the leader-body fusion in various mRNAs.  5) To
study the genomic sequences of defective-interfering (DI) particles to gain
further understanding of mRNA synthesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3128588
- **Project number:** 5R01AI019244-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** G88KLJR3KYT5
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael M.C. Lai
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $220,187
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1982-08-01 → 1990-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3128588

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3128588, HEPATITIS VIRUS RNA SYNTHESIS (5R01AI019244-07). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3128588. Licensed CC0.

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