Influenza viral RNA transcription in vitro is primed by capped RNA fragments cleaved from capped RNAs by a viral endonuclease. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the specificities of the viral endonuclease and transcriptase observed in in vitro studies are also observed in the infected cell. The NS (nonstructural) gene of influenza WSN virus was cloned in pBR322 by using a double-stranded DNA containing a cDNA copy of both virion RNA (vRNA) and in vivo viral mRNA. We determined the 5' terminal sequence of the particular NS viral mRNA molecule which was cloned and also the 5' terminal sequences of the entire population of in vivo NS viral mRNAs synthesized in two different cell lines. For the latter determination we used a restriction fragment from the cloned DNA for the reverse transcriptase-catalyzed extension of total in vivo viral mRNA. The results indicate that in vivo and in vitro viral RNA transcription are similar in two important respects: (i) transcription initiates not with an A residue directed by the 3' terminal U of the vRNA, but with a G residue directed by the 3' penultimate C of the vRNA; and (ii) capped RNA fragments containing a 3' terminal A residue are preferentially used as primers, therapy generating an AG sequence in the viral mRNA complementary to the 3' terminal UC of the vRNA. Actually, for in vivo transcription, a subset of A-terminated capped fragments, namely those containing a 3' penultimate C residue, are the preferred primers. The latter specificity had not been observed in previous in vitro studies.