Purification and identification of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of foot-and-mouth disease virus

Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase induced in BHK 21 cells by infection with foot-and-mouth disease virus has been isolated from the replication complex. It contains a major, virus-coded protein with mol. wt. 56000 which appears from serological studies and tryptic peptide mapping to be the same as the virus infection associated (VIA) antigen and the protein P56 found in cells infected with the virus. Other virus coded proteins and a host cell protein were present in the partially purified replication complex but were removed by digestion with ribonuclease T 1 , leaving only the major virus coded protein. The tryptic peptide maps of the VIA antigen of the seven serotypes of the virus were similar, suggesting a high level of conservation in that region of the genome coding for the RNA polymerase of each type. Received 4 May 1979; accepted 22 June 1979.