Structure of the Marek's disease virus BamHI-H gene family: genes of putative importance for tumor induction

• Published in: Journal of Virology Vol. 63; no. 6; pp. 2534 - 2542
• Main Authors: Bradley, G, Hayashi, M, Lancz, G, Tanaka, A, Nonoyama, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.06.1989
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Southern; Cells, Cultured; Chick Embryo; Deoxyribonuclease BamHI; DNA, Viral - genetics; Endonucleases; ENFERMEDAD DE MAREK; Exons; Fibroblasts; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENE; Gene Amplification; GENES; Genes, Viral; Genetics; Herpesvirus 2, Gallid - genetics; HERPETOVIRIDAE; MALADIE DE MAREK; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; NEOPLASMAS; NEOPLASME; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; NUCLEOTIDE; NUCLEOTIDOS; PODER PATOGENO; POLLO; POULET; POUVOIR PATHOGENE; Restriction Mapping; RNA, Viral - genetics; Single-Strand Specific DNA and RNA Endonucleases; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Transcription, Genetic; Virology; Gammaherpesvirinae; Virus; Marek disease virus; Gene; Induction; Herpesviridae; Multigene family; Tumor; Tumorigenicity
• ISSN: 0022-538X; 1098-5514
• DOI: 10.1128/jvi.63.6.2534-2542.1989

The BamHI H fragment of Marek's disease virus (MDV), which has been hypothesized to contain a tumor-inducing gene, was partially sequenced and analyzed for transcriptional activity. Transcription of several RNAs was found to initiate within BamHI-H, with the major transcripts initiating on either side of a putative MDV origin of lytic replication. A 1.8-kilobase gene family found to be produced only by pathogenic MDV was detected, and its transcription map was produced. It is hypothesized that the 1.8-kilobase gene family is directly associated with the tumorigenic potential of MDV