The 3'terminus of lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus genome RNA does not contain togavirus or flavivirus conserved sequences.

Lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV) is currently considered to be an unclassified togavirus. The 3' terminus of the genome RNA of the C-strain of LDV was cloned and sequenced. A synthetic DNA oligomer complementary to the 3' portion of this cloned sequence was then used to prime dideoxy sequencing from the LDV-C genome RNA as well as from the genome RNAs of three additional LDV isolates. A high degree of sequence conservation was observed in the 3' terminal region among the four LDV isolates analyzed. Comparison of the LDV 3' sequence with those of the alpha togaviruses, rubella virus, and the flaviviruses showed that the LDV genome does not contain conserved 3' sequences characteristic of these viruses.