A novel subgroup of rhadinoviruses in ruminants

Abstract

In the course of investigating the malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) subgroup of rhadinoviruses, seven novel rhadinoviruses were identified in a variety of ruminants, including domestic sheep, bighorn sheep, bison, black-tailed deer, mule deer, fallow deer, elk and addax. Based on the DNA polymerase gene sequences, these newly recognized viruses clustered into a second distinct subgroup in ruminants with three members identified previously in cattle, goats and oryx. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the currently known ruminant rhadinoviruses appear to comprise three distinct genetic lineages: (i) the MCF subgroup, defined by sequence identity and the presence of the 15A antigenic epitope; (ii) a second distinct subgroup, devoid of the 15A epitope, which contains the previously reported bovine lymphotropic herpesvirus and related viruses; and (iii) a third distinct subgroup represented by Bovine herpesvirus 4. Comparison of phylogenetic trees between the rhadinoviruses and their corresponding hosts further supports the gammaherpesvirus and host co-evolution theory.

The Pathology of Malignant Catarrhal Fever, With an Emphasis on Ovine Herpesvirus 2

“…91 The MCFV group is related to but distinct from other ruminant gammaherpesviruses, including non-MCF lymphotropic herpesviruses and bovine herpesvirus 4. 60,63 They infect members of the order Artiodactyla in the families Bovidae, Giraffidae, and Cervidae (Table 1). Membership of the MCFV is currently defined by presence of the 15-A antigen epitope, combined with base sequence similarity to conserved regions of the DNA polymerase gene.…”

Gammaherpesvirus Infection in Semidomesticated Reindeer (Rangifer Tarandus Tarandus): A Cross-Sectional, Serologic Study in Northern Norway

“…The cELISA test is based on a monoclonal antibody (15-A) against an epitope highly conserved among all MCFVs identified, including AlHV1, AlHV2, OvHV2, CpHV2, and Hippotragine herpesvirus 1 (HiHV1), the virus that causes MCF in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; Li et al, 2000), and the viruses carried by muskox, Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana), gemsbok (Oryx gazella) (Li et al, 2003a), and aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) (Li et al, 2005), respectively. Sera were scored by optical density (OD), based on the ability of each sample to inhibit binding of the 15-A monoclonal antibody to the AlHV1 antigen.…”

Sheep associated malignant catarrhal fever: an emerging disease of bovids in India

“…Six of them clearly associated with clinical disease are, AlHV-1, OvHV-2, caprine herpesvirus-2 (CpHV-2), MCFV of unknown origin causing disease in white-tailed deer (MCFV-WTD), ibex MCFV (MCFV-ibex) carried by ibex, and an AlHV-2-like virus carried by Jackson hartebeest. The remaining four viruses carried by roan antelope [68], oryx, muskox [43], and aoudad [47] have not yet been associated with disease [51]. AlHV-1 is endemic in wildebeest, in which it induces sub-clinical infection and causes WA-MCF in cattle and other susceptible ruminants [65].…”

“…Not associated with disease [43] Muskox Not associated with disease [43] Audad Not associated with disease [47] virus. The complete OvHV-2 genome, derived from BJ1035, has been cloned and sequenced [32].…”