Nucleotide sequence analysis of Jembrana disease virus: a bovine lentivirus associated with an acute disease syndrome

• Published in: Journal of general virology 1995-07, Vol.76 (7), p.1637-1650
• Main Authors: Chadwick, B. J, Coelen, R. J, Wilcox, G. E, Sammels, L. M, Kertayadnya, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; AIDS/HIV; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Bos javanicus; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - genetics; Cattle Diseases - virology; Gene Products, env - genetics; Gene Products, gag - genetics; Gene Products, pol - genetics; Jembrana disease virus; Lentivirus Infections - genetics; Lentivirus Infections - veterinary; Lentivirus Infections - virology; Lentiviruses, Bovine - chemistry; Lentiviruses, Bovine - genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Open Reading Frames; Protein Precursors - genetics; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Syndrome
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-76-7-1637

1 School of Veterinary Studies, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia 2 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia and 3 Bali Cattle Disease Investigation Unit, PO Box 3416, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia The complete nucleotide sequence of the RNA genome of Jembrana disease virus (JDV), a lentivirus that causes an acute disease syndrome in Bali cattle ( Bos javanicus ), is reported. In addition to the gag, pol and env genes and flanking long terminal repeats (LTRs) that characterize all retroviruses, a number of accessory genes represented by small multiply spliced ORFs in the central and 3'-terminal regions of the genome, including tat and rev that are typical of lentiviruses, were identified. The genome of JDV was 7732 bp in length, 750 bp smaller than the genome of bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) strain BIV127. A striking feature of the genome was the many deletions relative to BIV127, the largest of which were 471 bp from the env gene and 157 bp from the U3 (promoter) region in the LTR. There were also several insertions of up to 33 bp in the JDV genome relative to BIV127 found in the env gene and small ORFs that overlap env . Other significant genomic differences between JDV and BIV127 included changes to cis -acting sequences throughout the genome such as promoter and enhancer sequences in the LTR, the trans -activation response region, splice sites and frameshift sequences; alterations to the gag precursor protein cleavage sites and thus the processed products; loss of the vpw and vpy ORFs; and amino acid changes in all coding regions. The significance of these changes is discussed in relation to the differences in pathogenicity between JDV and BIV. * Author for correspondence. Fax [phone]. e-mail [e-mail] Present address: Department of Biomedical and Tropical Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University of Northern Queensland, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia. Received 16 January 1995; accepted 10 March 1995.