Temperature sensitive mutants of vesicular stomatitis virus: tryptic peptide maps of the proteins modified in complementation groups II and IV

The proteins specifically modified by mutations in complementations groups II and IV of vesicular stomatitis virus were identified using ion-exchange chromatography analysis. Labeled tryptic peptides from mutants and their revertants were compared and unambiguous results were obtained. For each mutant only one peptide in one protein was eluted at a place different from that of its revertant counterpart. The modified peptide was located in the M protein for ts 023 (III), as expected from previous data (F. Lafay (1974). J. Virol.14, 1220–1228). The modified peptide was found in the NS protein for ts 052 (II) and in the N protein for ts 0111 (IV). From these results we conclude that NS protein is encoded by VSV gene II and N protein, by gene IV.