Immediate-early transcription over covalently joined genome ends of bovine herpesvirus 1: the circ gene

• Published in: Journal of Virology Vol. 67; no. 3; pp. 1328 - 1333
• Main Authors: Fraefel, C. (University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland), Wirth, U.V, Vogt, B, Schwyzer, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.03.1993
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; ARN MENSAJERO; ARN MESSAGER; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; Cells, Cultured; DNA, Circular - genetics; EXPRESION GENICA; EXPRESSION DES GENES; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENE; GENES; Genes, Viral - genetics; Genetics; GENOMAS; GENOME; Genome, Viral; Herpesvirus 1, Bovine - genetics; Herpesvirus 3, Human - genetics; HERPESVIRUS BOVIN; HERPESVIRUS BOVINO; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Open Reading Frames - genetics; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid - genetics; Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid - genetics; RNA Precursors - genetics; RNA Precursors - metabolism; RNA Splicing - genetics; SECUENCIA NUCLEICA; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; SEQUENCE NUCLEIQUE; Transcription, Genetic; Virology; VIRUS DE LOS ANIMALES; VIRUS DES ANIMAUX; Splicing; Nucleotide sequence; Transcription; Herpesviridae; Alphaherpesvirinae; Sequence alignment; Homology; Bovine herpesvirus 1; Circular DNA; Virus; Messenger RNA; Comparative study; Aminoacid sequence; Immediate early gene
• ISSN: 0022-538X; 1098-5514
• DOI: 10.1128/jvi.67.3.1328-1333.1993

Herpesvirus genomes are linear molecules in virions. Prior to replication in host cells, they form circular templates by unknown mechanisms. Examining lytic infection with bovine herpesvirus 1, we observed immediate-early transcription over joined genome ends, which suggested that circles are present at the initial stage of infection. Among the transcripts was a spliced immediate-early RNA (1.5 kb) sharing exon 1 with previously described major immediate-early transcripts from the right genome end and exon 2 with a late transcript located near the left genome end. Exon 2 encodes a putative circ-encoded protein with homology to the varicella-zoster virus open reading frame 2 and equine herpesvirus 1 open reading frame 3 products. The novel features reported here for bovine herpesvirus 1 may constitute a more general property of herpesviruses