ABSTRACT
The replication of the single, negative strand of rhabdoviral ribonucleic acid (RNA) can be postulated to occur as a relatively straightforward molecular process. The rhabdovirus genome is a single strand of RNA of negative polarity. Rapidly labeled RNA containing structures have been implicated by pulse-chase studies as the functional intermediates in the replication of the single-stranded RNAs of bacteria and some animal viruses. These replicative intermediate structures have been described as containing a strand of template RNA with attached nascent progeny strands of opposite polarity. Two problems have hindered the study of rhabdovirus replication: the difficulty in discriminating between replicative and transcriptive events, and the presence of defective interfering (DI) particles. Some of the most complex areas of rhabdoviral biology involve control of RNA replication and transcription, the requirement for protein synthesis in replication, and identification of the protein responsible for replication. Several DI particles containing information from the 5' end of the genome appear to have inverted terminal sequences.
