Identification of the porcine cytomegalovirus major capsid protein gene.

A major capsid protein (MCP) gene homologue of porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV) was identified. Sequence analysis indicated that the PCMV MCP gene is 4,026 nucleotides in length encoding a protein of 1,341 amino acid residues. The predicted molecular weight of the PCMV MCP is 151,456 Da, equivalent to those of other herpesvirus MCP counterparts. Phylogenetic analysis using herpesviral MCP gene sequences confirmed that PCMV is a betaherpesvirus with higher homology with human herpesvirus-6 and -7 than human and mouse cytomegaloviruses. The serum of pig experimentally infected with PCMV did not react with bacterially expressed MCP, suggesting that the PCMV MCP may not be related to the humoral immune response in the course of PCMV infection. Also, we established polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols using primers corresponding to MCP gene sequences for detection of PCMV infection. The PCR protocol would be effective for the diagnosis of slow-growing PCMV infection, for which traditional methods involving virus-isolation are not useful.     

Cloning and Sequencing Analysis of DPOL Gene of Porcine Cytomegalovirus

In order to know the DPOL gene characterization of porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV) (PCMV-FJ01 strain),three pairs of specific primer were designed by Oligo 7.0 software based on comparison the characterization of DPOL gene retrieved from GenBank.The target DPOL gene fragments were amplified using PCR methods with the strain PCMV-FJ01 genomic DNA. The target PCR fragments were cloned and sequenced. The assembly sequences were bioinformatics analysis. The DPOL gene of PCMV-FJ01 strain was 3 021 bp in length, coding 1 006 amino acids. The results showed that the homology of the nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequence were above 98.7% and 99.1%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the PCMV was closer with genus Roseolovirus rather than genus Cytomegalovirus. The results suggested that PCMV should be new species under genus Roseolovirus base on the phylogenetic relationship.     

猪巨细胞病毒福建株DPOL基因的克隆及序列分析

为了明确猪巨细胞病毒（porcine cytomegalovirus,PCMV）福建株（PCMV-FJ01株）DPOL基因特征,本研究根据GenBank数据库中PCMV DPOL基因序列特征,利用引物设计软件Oligo 7.0设计针对DPOL基因的引物,以PCMV-FJ01株核酸DNA为模板,对其进行分段PCR扩增。将分段扩增的产物经胶回收试剂盒回收后进行克隆测序,对测序结果进行拼接后获得PCMV-FJ01株DPOL基因序列,并进行生物信息学分析。结果表明,PCMV-FJ01株DPOL基因全长为3 021 bp,编码1 006个氨基酸;其与GenBank中的PCMV分离株DPOL基因核苷酸和氨基酸同源性分别在98.7%和99.1%以上。遗传进化分析发现,相对于巨细胞病毒属其他种代表株,PCMV分离株DPOL基因在遗传进化上和玫瑰疱病毒属代表株更近。建议根据PCMV DPOL基因遗传进化特征,将其划归为玫瑰疱病毒属的一个病毒新种--猪玫瑰疹病毒（porcine roseolovirus）。     

猪巨细胞病毒PCR检测方法的建立及应用

参考GenBank中收录的猪巨细胞病毒(PCMV)DNA聚合酶基因序列设计合成了一对引物,扩增目的片段为236 bp.进行PCR检测方法的特异性、敏感性和重复性试验,建立了PCMV的PCR检测方法.结果表明,该方法对模板的最低检测量为1.1 pg,具有良好的特异性、敏感性和重复性.应用该法对猪同时感染PCMV和PRRS...     

猪巨细胞病毒gB蛋白抗原表位富集区的表达和抗原性的分析

为表达猪巨细胞病毒(PCMV)gB基因,本研究根据GenBank登录的PCMV gB基因序列设计1对引物,以感染PCMV猪肺细胞总DNA为模板,采用PCR扩增得到gB基因片段,克隆于pMD-18T并进行核苷酸序列测定。利用DNAStar分析gB蛋白的抗原表位,选择抗原表位富集的2个基因片段(命名为PCMVgB1和PCMVgB2)分别克隆到原核表达载体pET-32a(+)中,构建重组表达质粒并转化Rosetta(DE3)宿主菌。结果显示:扩增的gB基因与GenBank登录的PCMV gB基因的核苷酸同源性在97.6%～98.9%之间,推导的氨基酸同源性在97%～98.6%之间。经IPTG诱导的含pET-gB1和pET-gB2重组质粒的宿主菌可表达重组gB1和gB2蛋白,SDS-PAGE显示分子量约为62ku和36ku。Western blot和间接ELISA结果表明,重组gB1和gB2蛋白均具有反应原性。     

A novel herpesvirus in 3 species of pheasants: mountain peacock pheasant (Polyplectron inopinatum), Malayan peacock pheasant (Polyplectron malacense), and Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis)

The mountain peacock pheasant (Polyplectron inopinatum), the Malayan peacock pheasant (Polyplectron malacense), and the Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis) are all listed as vulnerable to extinction under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Here the authors report fatal infection with a novel herpesvirus in all 3 species of birds. DNA was extracted from the livers of birds with hepatocellular necrosis and intranuclear eosinophilic inclusions consistent with herpesvirus infection. Based on degenerate herpesvirus primers and polymerase chain reaction, 220- and 519-base pair products of the herpes DNA polymerase and DNA terminase genes, respectively, were amplified. Sequence analysis revealed that all birds were likely infected with the same virus. At the nucleotide level, the pheasant herpesvirus had 92% identity with gallid herpesvirus 3 and 77.7% identity with gallid herpesvirus 2. At the amino acid level, the herpes virus had 93.8% identity with gallid herpesvirus 3 and 89.4% identity with gallid herpesvirus 2. These findings indicate that the closest relative to this novel herpesvirus is gallid herpesvirus 3, a nonpathogenic virus used widely in a vaccine against Marek's disease. In situ hybridization using probes specific to the peacock pheasant herpesvirus DNA polymerase revealed strong intranuclear staining in the necrotic liver lesions of an infected Malayan peacock pheasant but no staining in normal liver from an uninfected bird. The phasianid herpesvirus reported here is a novel member of the genus Mardivirus of the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae and is distinct from other galliform herpesviruses.     

Equid herpesvirus 9 (EHV-9) isolates from zebras in Ontario,Canada, 1989 to 2007

The objective of this study was to identify and partially characterize 3 equid herpesviruses that were isolated postmortem from zebras in Ontario, Canada in 1989, 2002, and 2007. These 3 virus isolates were characterized by plaque morphology, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of their genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, and sequence analyses of the full length of the glycoprotein G (gG) gene (ORF70) and a portion of the DNA polymerase gene (ORF30). The isolates were also compared to 3 reference strains of equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1). Using rabbit kidney cells, the plaques for the isolates from the zebras were found to be much larger in size than the EHV-1 reference strains. The RFLP patterns of the zebra viruses differed among each other and from those of the EHV-1 reference strains. Real-time PCR and sequence analysis of a portion of the DNA polymerase gene determined that the herpesvirus isolates from the zebras contained a G at nucleotide 2254 and a corresponding N at amino acid position 752, which suggested that they could be neuropathogenic EHV-1 strains. However, subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the gG gene suggested that they were EHV-9 and not EHV-1.     

猪巨细胞病毒(PCMV)四川株gB基因的克隆与序列分析

根据GenBank中猪巨细胞病毒(porcine cytomegalovirus,PCMV)gB基因的核苷酸序列(GenBank登录号:FJ870563.1)设计1对引物,采用PCR方法从确诊为猪巨细胞病毒的阳性样品中扩增gB基因,将其克隆到pMD19-T载体上,转化DH5α感受态细胞,提取重组质粒T-PCMV-gB,经PCR和酶切鉴定后测序,并与GenBank上gB相应序列进行同源性分析。结果表明,该基因片段长度为2580 bp,与其他参考株gB基因的核苷酸同源性达98.0%～99.6%;其推导的氨基酸序列与人疱疹病毒6型和7型比较分析结果显示,其同源性分别为42.9%～43.6%和40.5%～40.6%。这些氨基酸差异对病毒生物学特性的影响有待于进一步研究。     

Identification of a novel herpesvirus from a California desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

Herpesviruses are significant pathogens of tortoises, causing upper respiratory tract disease and necrotizing stomatitis, with infections often associated with high mortality rates. Herpesvirus infection in a captive California desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) was detected by light microscopic observation of intranuclear inclusion bodies in various tissues followed by transmission electron microscopic observation of herpesvirus-like particles, and amplification of herpesvirus nucleic acid sequences using polymerase chain reaction. Using an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, anti-tortoise herpesvirus antibodies were detected one month after initial onset of clinical signs. This novel herpesvirus is distinct from the previously described tortoise herpesvirus (tortoise herpesvirus-1, THV-1) sharing 83% sequence identity of 60 amino acids of a portion of the DNA polymerase gene and 79% sequence identity across 120 amino acids of a portion of the ribonucleotide reductase gene. Similar to THV-1, this novel herpesvirus, tortoise herpesvirus-2 (THV-2), also clusters with the alphaherpesviruses.     

Development of species-specific PCR techniques for the detection of tortoise herpesvirus.

Previously, a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed with consensus degenerate primers targeting highly conserved motifs within herpesviral DNA polymerase genes to detect a newly described tortoise herpesvirus. However, nucleotide sequence information obtained from the final amplified fragment was restricted to a small region of 181 bp. In the present study, additional sequences flanking this segment were determined from a PCR product successfully amplified using a set of known degenerate primers, which covered a 692-bp region within the tortoise herpesviral DNA polymerase gene. Polymerase chain reaction primers for specific amplification of the tortoise herpesviral DNA were designed on the basis of these nucleotide sequences and successfully amplified tortoise herpesviral DNA from the tissues of tortoises that were well characterized histopathologically with herpesviral infection. The lower limit of detection was 1,000 herpesviral DNA equivalents in the presence of normal tortoise genomic DNA. Furthermore, a more sensitive and specific PCR technique for the identification of herpesviral infections in tortoises was developed employing a heminested form, which will enable the detection of latent infections or herpesvirus carriers in tortoises.     

猪巨细胞病毒gB基因的克隆与序列分析

应用PCR方法,从郑州、福建、浙江金华和宁波猪肺脏中分别扩增出4段PCMV gB基因,并将其分别克隆入pMD18-T载体,经蓝白斑筛选和PCR鉴定,将阳性克隆进行序列分析并构建系统进化树。序列分析表明,其gB基因全长为2 580bp,编码860个氨基酸,与PCMV其他序列相比,其同源性在96.1%～99.7%,与β疱疹病毒亚科中其他常见毒株同源性在25.9%～38.1%;推导的氨基酸序列,有11个半胱氨酸,17个潜在N-糖基化位点,其裂解位点是RYKR;系统进化树分析发现,推导的氨基酸序列出现两个分支,而且来自上述4个地区PCMV gB糖蛋白氨基酸序列处在不同的分支中。     

Fatal human herpesvirus type 1 infection in a white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar).

This report documents a case of spontaneous, fatal, and likely recrudescent human herpesvirus type 1 (HHV-1) infection in a captive white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An approximately 44-year-old, captive, female, white-handed gibbon with a history of recurrent conjunctivitis and occasional seizures became acutely weak, disoriented, and ataxic. A postictal state was suspected by caretakers and veterinary staff, and euthanasia was ultimately elected because of lack of clinical improvement with supportive care. No significant abnormalities were detected at necropsy. Histologically, sections of cerebrum and midbrain contained minimal to mild, multifocal lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis with numerous intranuclear viral inclusions within astrocytes and some neurons. The presumptive diagnosis of HHV-1-induced encephalitis was strengthened by nested PCR amplification of a segment of the herpesvirus DNA polymerase gene. Sequences from this region have been found to be unique to each herpesvirus species, thus identifying HHV-1 as the likely etiologic agent in this case. Positive HHV-1 serology from several years before the terminal episode suggested that the disease was most likely due to recrudescence of latent HHV-1 infection.     

猪细胞巨化病毒四川株MCP基因克隆及其编码蛋白的生物信息学分析

参照GenBank公布的仅有的日本株猪细胞巨化病毒较大衣壳蛋白（MCP）基因序列（登录号：AB051069）设计2对引物,采用分步克隆的方法,将PCMVMCP全序列克隆入pMD19-T载体进行测序,成功获得了pMD-MCP重组质粒,将所得序列录入到GenBank中（登录号：HQ025802）。测序结果表明,该MCP基因全长4017bp,共编码1338个氨基酸;与NCBI上公布的仅有的日本毒株MCP基因的核苷酸同源性为96．8％,氨基酸同源性为94．1％;进化分析显示：PCMVMCP基因与人疱疹病毒6型或7型的MCP基因亲缘关系较近;利用生物信息学软件对蛋白质结构特征进行分析,发现该蛋白含有59个潜在的磷酸化位点,潜在功能强大;亚细胞定位预测结果表明该蛋白主要存在于线粒体中和细胞质中并各占39．1％和26．1％,内质网占17．4％,高尔基体占8．7％,空泡和细胞核均占4．3％,表明PCMVMCP蛋白属于胞质蛋白,抗原区位集中于胞膜,有向胞质移动的趋势;另该成熟蛋白存在18个主要的抗原位点,将肽链经亲水性与抗原表位的共同分析,发现其肽链的c端极有可能分布有抗原决定簇。     

Cloning and sequencing of the calcium-sensing receptor from the feline parathyroid gland

Messenger RNA of the calcium-sensing receptor from feline parathyroid gland (fCaSR) was reversed transcribed to cDNA, amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into E. coli. Sequences obtained from cloned E. coli were used for genetic characterization of the fCaSR mRNA and for exonic PCR primer design. Multiple fCaSR exons sequence alignments obtained from PCR amplification of genomic DNA of 5 healthy domestic shorthair cats indicated the presence of 3 synonymous missense single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and 1 nonsynonymous missense SNP, which changed an amino acid from arginine to proline. The fCaSR has 96%, 96%, and 94% homology to the canine, human, and bovine amino acid sequences, respectively.     

Identification of a novel herpesvirus in captive Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina)

Herpesviruses are significant pathogens of chelonians which most commonly cause upper respiratory tract disease and necrotizing stomatitis. Herpesvirus infection was identified in two populations of captive Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) using histopathology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with DNA sequencing. Necrotizing lesions with eosinophilic to amphophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were identified in the tissues of one hatch-year individual in January 2013, which was herpesvirus positive by PCR. A separate captive group of adults had an observed herpesvirus prevalence of 58% using PCR in July 2011. In these cases, a novel herpesvirus, Terrapene herpesvirus 1 (TerHV1), was identified and serves as the first herpesvirus sequenced in the genus Terrapene. Similar to the other herpesviruses of the Order Testudines, TerHV1 clusters with the genus Scutavirus of the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae.     

Varanid herpesvirus 1: a novel herpesvirus associated with proliferative stomatitis in green tree monitors (Varanus prasinus)

Stomatitis is a common problem in lizards, and the etiologies of stomatitis in lizards are not well understood. Four green tree monitor lizards (Varanus prasinus) from two different collections were evaluated because of proliferative stomatitis. Degenerate PCR primers targeting a conserved region of herpesvirus DNA-dependent DNA polymerase were used to amplify and sequence a product from gingival tissue of three of four lizards (cases 1, 3, and 4). DNA in situ hybridization of tissues from three lizards was positive for herpesvirus in the oral mucosa of all three lizards tested (cases 1-3) and the brain of two lizards (cases 1 and 3). Comparative sequence analysis suggests that this virus is a novel member of the subfamily alpha-herpesvirinae, and is here termed varanid herpesvirus 1.     

Detection and nucleotide sequencing of a DNA-packaging protein gene of equine gammaherpesviruses.

In previous studies, novel putative viral pathogens designated that asinine herpesvirus 4 (AsHV4) and asinine herpesvirus 5 (AsHV5) were associated with fatal interstitial pneumonia in donkeys (Equus asinus). Nucleotide sequence analysis of a portion of the DNA polymerase gene identified these putative pathogens as herpesviruses and possibly as members of the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily. Although similar to equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV2) and equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV5), sequence diversity was observed among the detected viruses. In this study, novel sequence is reported for a DNA-packaging protein gene of EHV5 plus AsHV4, AsHV5, and a newly described putative pathogen herein designated asinine herpesvirus 6 (AsHV6). Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences suggested that the equine gammaherpesviruses may form a separate clade within the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily. Based on the sequence of EHV2 and the novel sequences reported in this study, a PCR assay was developed to detect equine gammaherpesviruses. Products of the predicted size were produced after amplification of DNA from EHV2, EHV5, AsHV4, AsHV5, and AsHV6. This nonnested assay was shown to consistently amplify approximately 10 genomic copies of EHV2. Amplification products were not produced from DNA template of other alpha- and gammaherpesviruses. Because the role of gammaherpesviruses has not been well defined in equine disease, it is envisioned that a single, sensitive PCR assay to detect these potential pathogens will facilitate further assessment of their role in disease.     

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1) in selectively digested whole bovine semen

A PCR assay for the detection of bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV1) DNA in selectively digested whole bovine semen was developed and evaluated. A brief treatment with proteinase-K was used to lyse free virus, virus present in non-sperm cells and virus adhering to the spermatozoa. Genomic bovine DNA was not released by this treatment. Primers and probes were based on the nucleotide sequence of the gD gene. BHV1 virus-spiked split samples were used as positive controls and the PCR products were detected by eye in ethidium bromide-stained agarose gels. Sequentially collected non-extended semen samples from experimentally infected bulls were used to compare this assay with virus isolation. Of a total of 162 ejaculates, 51 were found positive by virus isolation, whereas PCR detected BHV1 DNA in 73. PCR detected BHV1 DNA for a longer period after infection and reaction. Apart from its superior sensitivity, this PCR assay also has the advantage of being a relatively simple procedure, providing results within 24 h.Abbreviations AI artificial insemination - BHV1 bovine herpesvirus type 1 - PCR polymerase chain reaction - TCID₅₀ tissue culture infective dose, 50%