Abstract
Hepatitis delta (δ) virus (HDV), a satellite virus of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), causes a severe form of viral hepatitis in humans1. Here we present evidence based on electron microscopy and electrophoretic behaviour that HDV contains a single stranded circular RNA molecule. This is the first animal virus identified with a circular RNA genome. Circular RNAs have only been found in plant viruses. We have obtained a partial complementary DNA clone representing ∼25% of the total genome of HDV. Analysis of this cDNA revealed similarity to two plant viruses that may explain the origin of the virus.
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Kos, A., Dijkema, R., Arnberg, A. et al. The hepatitis delta (δ) virus possesses a circular RNA. Nature 323, 558–560 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/323558a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/323558a0
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