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Title: COMPARISON OF OVINE HERPESVIRUS 2 GENOMES ISOLATED FROM DOMESTIC SHEEP (OVIS ARIES) AND A CLINICALLY AFFECTED COW (BOS BOVIS)

Author
item Taus, Naomi
item Herndon, David
item Traul, Donald
item STEWART, JAMES - UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL
item ACKERMANN, MATHIAS - UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH
item Li, Hong
item Knowles Jr, Donald
item Lewis, Gregory
item BRAYTON, KELLY - WSU

Submitted to: Journal of General Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2006
Publication Date: 1/5/2007
Citation: Taus, N.S., Herndon, D.R., Traul, D., Stewart, J.P., Ackermann, M., Li, H., Knowles Jr, D.P., Lewis, G.S., Brayton, K.A. 2007. Comparison of ovine herpesvirus 2 genomes isolated from domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and a clinically affected cow (Bos bovis). Journal of General Virology. 88(1):40-45.

Interpretive Summary: Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) is a ruminant rhadinovirus that is carried asymptomatically by almost all domestic sheep. When clinically susceptible ruminants such as bison, cattle and deer become infected, a fatal disease known as malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) can result. Studies of OvHV-2, including determining the genome sequence of the virus, have been hampered by the inability to grow the virus in culture. In this study we determined the sequence of OvHV-2 isolated from nasal secretions of sheep, the natural carriers, shedding high levels of virus. This information forms the basis for future studies of MCF pathogenesis and vaccine development.

Technical Abstract: The rhadinovirus ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) is the causative agent of sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). OvHV-2 affects primarily ruminants and has a worldwide distribution. In this study we determined the sequence of OvHV-2 genomic DNA isolated from sheep nasal secretions and compared it to the sequence of OvHV-2 DNA isolated from a lymphoblastoid cell line derived from a clinically affected cow. The study confirmed the OvHV-2 sequence information determined for the cell line-isolated DNA and showed no apparent significant changes in the OvHV-2 genome during passage through a clinically susceptible species with subsequent maintenance in vitro. Amino acid identity between the predicted coding sequences (CDS) of the two genomes was 94 to 100%, except for CDS 73 which had an identity of 83%. The availability of detailed OvHV-2 sequence information will facilitate the study of MCF pathogenesis and development of immunological control of the disease.