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Title: COMPARISON OF OVINE HERPESVIRUS 2 GENOMES ISOLATED FROM DOMESTIC SHEEP (OVIS ARIES) AND A CLINICALLY AFFECTED COW (BOS BOVIS)

Author
item Taus, Naomi
item Herndon, David
item Traul, Donald
item STEWART, JAMES
item ACKERMANN, MATHIAS
item Li, Hong
item Knowles Jr, Donald
item Lewis, Gregory
item BRAYTON, KELLY

Submitted to: Journal of General Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2006
Publication Date: 1/5/2007
Citation: Taus, N.S., Herndon, D.R., Traul, D., Stewart, J.P., Ackermann, M., Li, H., Knowles Jr, D.P., Lewis, G.S., Brayton, K.A. 2007. Comparison of ovine herpesvirus 2 genomes isolated from domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and a clinically affected cow (Bos bovis). Journal of General Virology. 88(1):40-45.

Interpretive Summary: Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) is a ruminant rhadinovirus that is carried asymptomatically by almost all domestic sheep. When clinically susceptible ruminants such as bison, cattle and deer become infected, a fatal disease known as malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) can result. Studies of OvHV-2, including determining the genome sequence of the virus, have been hampered by the inability to grow the virus in culture. In this study we determined the sequence of OvHV-2 isolated from nasal secretions of sheep, the natural carriers, shedding high levels of virus. This information forms the basis for future studies of MCF pathogenesis and vaccine development.

Technical Abstract: The rhadinovirus ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) is the causative agent of sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). OvHV-2 affects primarily ruminants and has a worldwide distribution. In this study we determined the sequence of OvHV-2 genomic DNA isolated from sheep nasal secretions and compared it to the sequence of OvHV-2 DNA isolated from a lymphoblastoid cell line derived from a clinically affected cow. The study confirmed the OvHV-2 sequence information determined for the cell line-isolated DNA and showed no apparent significant changes in the OvHV-2 genome during passage through a clinically susceptible species with subsequent maintenance in vitro. Amino acid identity between the predicted coding sequences (CDS) of the two genomes was 94 to 100%, except for CDS 73 which had an identity of 83%. The availability of detailed OvHV-2 sequence information will facilitate the study of MCF pathogenesis and development of immunological control of the disease.