ARS | Publication request: MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF ENVELOPE GENES FROM SUBGRUP J AVIAN LEUKOSIS VIRUSFIELD ISOLATES

Submitted to: American Veterinary Medical Association Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 1, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: In 1991, a new avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) was isolated from meat type chickens. We obtained ALV-J isolates from 8 different broiler-breeders. We designed PCR primers that expanded a 2.4kb fragment that encompasses gp85, gp37, the e element and most of the 3' LTR. DNA sequencing the PCR amplicons revealed that each ALV-J isolate was different. The location of the amino acid differences between HPRS-103 and the U.S. isolates typicall mapped in and around the important host range regions, hr1 and hr2 in gp85. While these amino acid changes resulted in little or no changes in the "hydrophilicty plot," these differences could result in some differences in antigenic epitopes and/or altered host range.