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Title: COMPARISON OF GENOMIC ORGANIZATION OF GA STRAIN OF MAREK'S DISEASE VIRUS WITH HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS

Author
item Lee, Lucy
item WU, PING - USDA ARS ADOL E LANSING
item SUI, DEXIN - USDA ARS ADOL E LANSING
item REN, DELIN - USDA ARS ADOL E LANSING
item KAMIL, JEREMY - UC DAVIS SACRAMENTO CA
item KUNG, HSING JIEN - UC DAVIS SACRAMENTO CA
item Witter, Richard

Submitted to: World Poultry Congress Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The GA-MDV genomic organization is typical of an gamma-herpesvirus with the arrangement of TRL-UL-IRL-IRS-US-TRS. Based on our complete UL sequences published US sequences, the complete genome is predicted to be about 175 kbp in size. This genome size is about 20 kbp larger than the HSV genome, and is comparable in size to the EBV genome. The extra-coding sequences in MDV may contribute to some of the gamma-herpesvirus properties. When the overal structural features of GA-MDV are compared with those of HSV-1, the major differences are localized in the repeat regions. The RL of MDV is 30% larger than that of HSV-1 and the RS is twice as long. The organization of UL genes in the two genomes is generally collinear, except for the presence of several ORFs unique to MDV. A total of 69 ORFs are contained completely within the UL region, of which 55 are known by comparison to HSV-1. Fourteen ORFs are novel with presently unknown functions. In addition, two stretches of extraneous sequences located at the boundaries of TRL/UL and IRL/UL encode MDV-specific ORFs. These ORFs are likely to contribute to some of the unique biological properties of MDV. Both the UL and US sequences of MDV are highly homologous to herpes simplex virus with corresponding genes arranged in the same order and presumably the same transcriptional units. Since the common genes are mostly involved in viral replication and viron assemply, a similar infection and replication scheme for these viruses might be predicted. There are, however, some interesting differences between MDV and HSV that will be discussed.