Characterization of human telomeric repeat sequences from human herpesvirus 6 and relationship to replication

• Published in: Journal of general virology 1995-02, Vol.76 (2), p.451-458
• Main Authors: Gomples, U. A, Macaulay, H. A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Base Sequence; Genome, Viral; Herpesvirus 6, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 6, Human - physiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Telomere; Virus Replication
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-76-2-451

Viral Pathogenesis Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK Here we examine by polymerase chain reaction amplification followed by cloning and sequence analyses selected regions of the human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) genome which contain human telomeric repeats (TTAGGG). We determine the relative number, arrangement and orientation of the repeats in the unit length genome, in concatemeric replicative intermediates and in heterogeneous (het) regions. We also examine distribution of the repeats in the entire genome (159 kb) and their orientation relative to DNA packaging motifs and the origin of lytic replication. In the prototype orientation the HHV-6 repeat is the related complement, TAACCC. We show that tandem array sof this repeat are present in the right and left long direct repeats (DR L and DR R , 8 kb each) which bound the long unique sequence (U L , 143 kb). Within each DR there is a left terminal imperfect tandem array and a right terminal perfect tandem array (58 copies). In DR they are each adjacent to DNA packaging motifs, pac1 and pac2, described for herpes simplex virus and human cytomegalovirus, in the arrangement pac1-imperfect repeat-7.2 kb-perfect repeat-pac2. Five independent clones were isolated and sequence determined from junctions of concatemeric replicative intermediates which showed adjacent pac2 and pac1 motifs surrounded by telomeric repeats. Favoured cleavage sites for unit length genomes were indicated which avoided cleavage within the repeats. Analyses of the complete genome showed no tandem repeats within U L but did show a polar distribution of monomeric copies and related sequences around the origin of replication, with an effect on the overall base composition. The implications for virus replication are discussed. * Author for correspondence. Fax [phone]. e-mail [e-mail] Received 4 July 1994; accepted 8 September 1994.