The nucleotide sequence of the Pieris brassicae granulosis virus granulin gene

Two overlapping restriction fragments containing the Pieris brassicae granulosis virus (GV) granulin gene were cloned into plasmids. The regions containing the coding region and the 5' and 3' flanking regions were subcloned into M13 and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence data were compared to those for the granulin gene from the Trichoplusia ni GV and the polyhedrin gene from the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV). The amino acid sequences derived from these DNA sequences indicated that the two GV proteins are more closely related to each other (77% amino acid homology) than either is to the AcMNPV (about 53% amino acid homology for either GV). The N-terminal region shows the greatest degree of variation between these proteins. Highly conserved amino acid sequences were identified between the two GVs and were also found between NPVs. Certain of these conserved regions are shared between GVs and NPVs while others are not.