Comparison of ovine herpesvirus 2 genomes isolated from domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and a clinically affected cow (Bos bovis)

• Published in: Journal of general virology 2007, Vol.88 (1), p.40-45
• Main Authors: Taus, N.S, Herndon, D.R, Traul, D.L, Stewart, J.P, Ackermann, M, Li, H, Knowles, D.P, Lewis, G.S, Brayton, K.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Bos; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - virology; DNA, Viral - analysis; DNA, Viral - blood; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genetic polymorphism; genome; Herpesviridae Infections - veterinary; Herpesviridae Infections - virology; isolation; malignant catarrhal fever; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Molecular Sequence Data; Nasal Mucosa - virology; nucleotide sequences; open reading frames; Ovine herpesvirus 2; Ovis aries; Rhadinovirus; Rhadinovirus - chemistry; Rhadinovirus - genetics; Rhadinovirus - isolation & purification; Ruminantia; Sheep; Sheep Diseases - virology; strain differences; strains; Virology
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.82285-0

The rhadinovirus Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) is the causative agent of sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever. OvHV-2 primarily affects ruminants and has a worldwide distribution. In this study, a composite sequence of OvHV-2 genomic DNA isolated from nasal secretions of sheep experiencing virus-shedding episodes was determined and compared with 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 apparently 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 open reading frames (ORFs) of the two genomes was 94-100 %, except for ORF73, which had an identity of 83 %. Polymorphism in ORF73 was due primarily to variability in the G/E-rich repetitive central region of the ORF.