The structure of Uukuniemi virus, a proposed member of the bunyaviruses

Abstract

Uukuniemi virus, a proposed member of the new large Bunyavirus group of arboviruses, has an interesting structure which differs in many respects from that of other enveloped RNA viruses. The surface structure reveals a clustering of the two glycoproteins into distinct capsomere-like subunits, arranged in a T = 12 icosahedral lattice. The genome is found in at least three pieces that appear to represent unique virus-specific RNAs. The ribonucleoproteins corresponding to the RNA species are circular, according to electron micrographs. The virion contains an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase suggesting that Uukuniemi virus is a negative-strand virus. This paper summarizes the data obtained on the structure of Uukuniemi virus and discusses its relationship to other members of the Bunyavirus group.