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Complete, annotated sequence of the pseudorabies virus genome
Barbara G Klupp1, Christoph J Hengartner, Thomas C Mettenleiter
1Institute of Molecular Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institutes, Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals, D-17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Journal of Virology
|December 13, 2003
Summary
Researchers sequenced the complete DNA of pseudorabies virus (PRV), an important animal pathogen. The PRV genome analysis revealed conserved genetic elements and transcriptional control features within alphaherpesviruses.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Pseudorabies virus (PRV), also known as Aujeszky's disease virus or suid herpesvirus 1, is an alphaherpesvirus with significant impact on animal health.
- Understanding the complete genome sequence of PRV is crucial for comprehending its genetic makeup and evolutionary relationships within the alphaherpesvirus subfamily.
Purpose of the Study:
- To obtain and analyze the complete DNA sequence of the pseudorabies virus (PRV) genome.
- To identify and characterize open reading frames (ORFs) and transcriptional control elements within the PRV genome.
- To investigate the conservation of genomic features and transcriptional regulatory mechanisms shared with other alphaherpesviruses.
Main Methods:
- Whole-genome sequencing using DNA fragments from six different PRV strains.
- Bioinformatic analysis to assemble the genome, identify open reading frames (ORFs), and predict transcriptional control elements.
- Comparison of identified genomic features with those of related alphaherpesviruses.
Main Results:
- The complete PRV genome sequence was assembled, comprising 143,461 nucleotides.
- Over 70 open reading frames (ORFs) were identified, with homologs found in related alphaherpesviruses; no PRV-unique ORFs were detected.
- Computer prediction programs successfully identified RNA polymerase II transcriptional control elements, showing excellent correlation with experimental data.
- The PRV genome exhibits a transcriptional control architecture characterized by shared core elements, bifunctional elements, and repetitive sequences potentially acting as insulators.
Conclusions:
- The complete genome sequence of PRV provides a comprehensive resource for studying this alphaherpesvirus.
- PRV shares conserved genetic and transcriptional regulatory features with other alphaherpesviruses, highlighting subfamily-level conservation.
- The identified transcriptional control elements and architecture have significant implications for understanding gene regulation and for future gene array analyses in alphaherpesviruses.