An Update on the Vaccinia Virus Genome

Here is described the isolation of a naturally occurring A-type inclusion body (ATI)-negative vaccinia-like virus, Belo Horizonte virus (VBH), obtained from a mousepox-like outbreak in Brazil. The isolated virus was identified and characterized as an orthopoxvirus by conventional methods. Molecular characterization of the virus was done by DNA cross-hybridization using Vaccinia virus (VACV) DNA. In addition, conserved orthopoxvirus genes such as vaccinia growth factor, thymidine kinase and haemagglutinin were amplified by PCR and sequenced. All sequences presented high similarity to VACV genes. Based on the sequences, phenograms were constructed for comparison with other poxviruses; VBH clustered consistently with VACV strains. Attempts to amplify the ATI gene (ati ) by PCR, currently used to identify orthopoxviruses, were unsuccessful. Results presented here suggest that most of the ati gene is deleted in the VBH genome.

show abstract

“…3c). Other VACV strains also lack the ati gene (Goebel et al, 1990;Johnson et al, 1993;Osterrieder et al, 1994).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Belo Horizonte virus: a vaccinia-like virus lacking the A-type inclusion body gene isolated from infected mice

Trindade

Fonseca

Marques

et al. 2004

Journal of General Virology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The deduced encoded 68K polypeptide shows 27-30 % identity with proteins previously described from chordopoxviruses, specifically, the 'rifampicin resistance factor' proteins of the orthopox vaccinia (VV) and variola viruses (Johnson et al, 1993;Massung et al, 1994) and a 62K protein of swinepox virus (Massung et al, 1993). The VV-encoded homologue is involved in one of the earliest stages of virion formation-the virus-induced production of Golgi-derived crescent-shaped membranes (Sodiek et al, 1994), and the presence of morphologically identical structures in HaEPV-infected cells (Goodwin et al, 1991;Lai-Fook et al, 1994) suggests that the EPVencoded homologue could have a similar function.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Analysis of that sequence ( Fig. 1 b) showed that the 5' part consisted of a 771 bp A/Trich (82%) region whose longest open reading frame (ORF) in either orientation potentially encoded a 34 Johnson et al, 1993) and swinepox virus (Massung et al, 1993) homologues (VV and SP, respectively). Asterisks show aa's conserved in all sequences; well conserved regions (> 50% identity; see text) are underlined.…”

Section: Analysis Of the Haepv 68k Gene Sequencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…to the products of the vaccinia (VV) and variola (VAR) virus D13L and N3L genes, respectively (Johnson et al, 1993;Massung et al, 1994), and a homologous gene of swinepox virus (SP; Massung et al, 1993). The deduced HaEPV protein has 30, 30 and 27 % aa identity with those three proteins, respectively; in comparison the VV protein has 70 % identity with its SP homologue.…”

Section: Analysis Of the Haepv 68k Gene Sequencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We describe here one such candidate gene which, in the context of the vaccinia virus (VV) homologue (D 13L;Johnson et al, 1993), encodes a protein known variously as VV p65, L65 or rifampicin resistance factor (Sodiek et al, 1994, Vanslyke & Hruby, 1994Johnson et al, 1993). That protein has been reported to play an essential role in formation of the crescent-shaped membranous structures which constitute an early and distinctive stage of vaccinia virion formation (Sodiek et al, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

An entomopoxvirus homologue of the vaccinia virus D13L-encoded 'rifampicin resistance' protein

Osborne

Symonds

Sriskantha

et al. 1996

Journal of General Virology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Heliothis armigera entomopoxvirus (HaEPV) genome encodes a predicted 68 kDa polypeptide related to the 'rifampicin resistance' protein of vaccinia virus (with 30 % identity), and an homologous swinepox virus protein (27 % identity). We were unable to isolate an HaEPV genotypic variant encoding a predicted Cterminal truncated form of the protein, suggesting that the C terminus of the molecule may be essential to protein function, and, in turn, that this function may be essential to viral replication. HaEPV replication was substantially reduced in host cells exposed to rifampicin, but the observed cytotoxic properties of the drug made it impossible to determine the specific cause of that inhibition. We suggest that possession of a gene encoding a member of this polypeptide family might represent a defining molecular characteristic of the Poxviridae.

show abstract

Detection and typing of molluscum contagiosum virus in skin lesions by using a simple lysis method and polymerase chain reaction

et al. 1996

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the rapid detection and typing of molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) was developed. The target DNA was a 393 base pair (bp) segment, which is present in the coding region of the MCV p43K gene product. Release of MCV DNA from skin lesions was performed by using a simple procedure that provided suitable template DNA for amplification, and allowed detection of MCV directly in clinical material. The PCR yielded a unique 393 bp product when MCV DNA was used as template. This product was not shown with DNA from other viruses and bacterial pathogens causing skin diseases. The specific PCR product was obtained with individual lesions from all patients clinically diagnosed with MCV infection, whereas no products were detected with skin samples from healthy individuals. Sequencing of this PCR product allowed determination of the virus subtype on the basis of previously described nucleotide differences between subtypes MCVI and MCVII. To avoid the sequencing process, a second PCR assay was developed, in which the target DNA sequence included a MCVI-specific recognition site for the restriction endonuclease BamHI. This PCR assay yielded a unique 575 bp product with lesions from either MCVI- or MCVII-infected patients. However, only the MCVI-derived product was susceptible to BamHI digestion, which generated two fragments of 291 and 284 bp, respectively. Amplification of specific MCV DNA sequences from single, individual lesions provides a sensitive and reliable method for laboratory diagnosis and molecular epidemiology studies of molluscum contagiosum.

show abstract

An Update on the Vaccinia Virus Genome

Cited by 121 publications

References 0 publications

Belo Horizonte virus: a vaccinia-like virus lacking the A-type inclusion body gene isolated from infected mice

Belo Horizonte virus: a vaccinia-like virus lacking the A-type inclusion body gene isolated from infected mice

An entomopoxvirus homologue of the vaccinia virus D13L-encoded 'rifampicin resistance' protein

Detection and typing of molluscum contagiosum virus in skin lesions by using a simple lysis method and polymerase chain reaction

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About