Open AccessDeletion of fowlpox virus homologues of vaccinia virus genes between the 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (A44L) and DNA ligase (A50R) genes
Author(s) -
Michael A. Skinner,
Jeffrey B. Moore,
M. M. Binns,
Geoffrey L. Smith,
M. E. G. Boursnell
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of general virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1465-2099
pISSN - 0022-1317
DOI - 10.1099/0022-1317-75-9-2495
Subject(s) - biology , fowlpox virus , vaccinia , gene , virus , virology , poxviridae , microbiology and biotechnology , homology (biology) , orthopoxvirus , genetics , recombinant dna
A fragment of 4156 bp of fowlpox virus (FPV) genomic DNA contains homologues of vaccinia virus 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/delta 5-delta 4 isomerase (3 beta-HSD; A44L) and DNA ligase (A50R) genes. The FPV locus has clearly been rearranged relative to that of vaccinia virus as homologues of genes A45R to A49R, including the thymidylate kinase and a gene with homology to superoxide dismutase, are deleted. The deleted genes are replaced by two open reading frames: for a serine proteinase inhibitor with homology to vaccinia virus gene K2L and for a protein with no significant homology to proteins in the databases. In addition, the FPV homologues of A44L and A50R are in the same polarity in FPV whereas they are in opposite polarities in vaccinia virus. Increased 3 beta-HSD activity has been demonstrated in cells infected with either of two different strains of FPV or with canarypox virus.