%0 Journal Article %A Lukashevich, I S %A Djavani, M %A Shapiro, K %A Sanchez, A %A Ravkov, E %A Nichol, S T %A Salvato, M S %T The Lassa fever virus L gene: nucleotide sequence, comparison, and precipitation of a predicted 250 kDa protein with monospecific antiserum. %D 1997 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 78 %N 3 %P 547-551 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/0022-1317-78-3-547 %I Microbiology Society, %X The large (L) RNA segment of Lassa fever virus (LAS) encodes a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp or L protein). Similar to other arenaviruses, the LAS L protein is encoded on the genome-complementary strand and is predicted to be 2218 amino acids in length (253 kDa). It has an unusually large non-coding region adjacent to its translation start site. The LAS L protein contains six motifs of conserved amino acids that have been found among arenavirus L proteins and core RdRp of other segmented negative-stranded (SNS) viruses (Arena-, Bunya- and Orthomyxoviridae). Phylogenetic analyses of the RdRp of 20 SNS viruses reveals that arenavirus L proteins represent a distinct cluster divided into LAS-lymphocytic choriomeningitis and Tacaribe-Pichinde virus lineages. Monospecific serum against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the most conserved central domain precipitates a 250 kDa product from LAS and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus-infected cells. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/0022-1317-78-3-547