Comparison of a 20kb region of human herpesvirus 6B with other human betaherpesviruses reveals conserved replication genes and adjacent divergent open reading frames

• Published in: Archives of virology Vol. 142; no. 1; pp. 193 - 204
• Main Authors: Lindquester, G J, Greenamoyer, C A, Anton, E D, O'brian, J J, Pellett, P E, Dambaugh, T R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wien Springer Nature B.V 01.01.1997
• Subjects: Bacteriology; Gammaherpesvirus; Genes; Genomics; Herpes simplex virus 1; Human cytomegalovirus; Human herpesvirus 6; Human herpesvirus 6B; Human herpesvirus 7; Microbiology; Proteins
• ISSN: 0304-8608; 1432-8798
• DOI: 10.1007/s007050050070

The sequence of a 20.15kb region from human herpesvirus 6 variant B (HHV-6B) strain Z29 is described (GenBank accession number L14772). Determinations of protein homologies for seventeen predicted gene products revealed HHV-6B homologs of six proteins well-conserved both in genetic context and amino acid sequence throughout the alpha-, beta-, and gammaherpesvirus subfamilies. These include proteins involved in viral DNA replication, packaging and nucleotide metabolism, and conserved proteins of undefined function. The close evolutionary relationship of the human betaherpesviruses, HHV-6B, HHV-6A, HHV-7 and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) was confirmed by identification of several protein sequences encoded only by these viruses, including homologs of the HCMV early phosphoprotein family and a series of HCMV open reading frames predicted to encode glycoprotein exons. Homologs of essential HSV-1 replication proteins, UL8 and UL9, were also identified. Downstream from the conserved replication locus, each betaherpesvirus contains a region of divergent, small open reading frames. The evolution of this region and its potential use in the development of a viral vector system are discussed.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]