The glycoprotein gene has a translation stop codon in the middle of it, preventing the synthesis of the full length protein. Approximately twenty percent of the mRNA isolated from infected cells had been edited to contain an extra adenosine in a stretch of seven adenosine residues at positions 1019-1026. This causes a frame shift, allowing the synthesis of the full length protein . A possible role for SGP is to protect the virus from the immune system as a decoy antigen. Moreover, GP also appears to be immunosuppressive, further interfering with the response to infection.
Filoviruses are a major category of emerging viruses .