ABSTRACT
Genetic studies of rhabdoviruses have been reported for vesicular stomatitis virus, Indiana and New Jersey serotypes, as well as Cocal, Chandipura, rabies, and sigma viruses. The genome of each of these viruses is composed of a single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule with a coding capacity for 5 or 6 polypeptides. The mechanism of replication of the RNA genome within a cell is not yet elucidated, but it is probable that the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which is found in the virions of all rhabdoviruses so far investigated, is responsible for both RNA replication and transcription. Various members of the Rhabdoviridae family are capable of infecting a wide variety of organisms, including plants, insects, fishes, birds, reptiles, and mammals. Spontaneous mutations are believed to arise primarily from errors during RNA replication. Recombination is studied by performing mixed virus infections at permissive temperatures, followed by titration of the progency at nonpermissive temperatures.
