Simian rotavirus SA11 segment 11 contains overlapping reading frames

Gene segment 11 of the Simian rotavirus SA11 codes for a 28kd polypeptide which may be a minor component of the capsid layer (1) . This gene wa3 subcloned into Bluescribe M13+ (Stratagene) and sequenced using denatured ds DNA template and primers flanking the insert (2) . The gene of 667 nucleotides has one open reading frame of 597 bases (198 amino acids) and a second (+1) of 279 base3 (92 amino acids) starting at base 80. This is also conserved in both Wa (3) and UK Bovine (4) rotavirus strains. In the l a t t e r strain the reading frame is extended by 6 amino acids. An overlapping reading frame has been previously described for the reovirus ol protein (5) , the prototype virus of the Reoviridae. We have been unable to detect any protein product translated from the overlapping reading frame in vi tro.