Sequence analysis of the nucleocapsid protein gene of rat coronavirus SDAV-681.

The nucleotide sequence of the 3'-end of the genomic RNA of sialodacryoadenitis virus strain 681 (SDAV-681) was determined. A large open reading frame encoding a 454-amino-acid protein was identified as the nucleocapsid protein (N) gene, since the predicted protein is similar in size, chemical properties, and amino acid sequence to the N proteins of other coronaviruses. The amino acid variance of the N proteins between SDAV and mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) is not markedly different from that among MHV strains. A high degree of genetic relatedness between SDAV and MHV was revealed in the intergenic and 3'-noncoding sequences as well as in the N gene.