Reticuloendotheliosis virus sequences within the genomes of field strains of fowlpox virus display variability.

ABSTRACT: Nine field strains of fowlpox virus (FPV) isolated during a 24-year span from geographically diverse outbreaks of fowlpox in the United States were screened for the presence of reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) sequences in their genomes by PCR. Each isolate appeared to be heterogeneous in that either a nearly intact provirus or just a 248- or 508-nucleotide fusion of portions of the integrated REV 5' and 3' long terminal repeats (LTRs) was exclusively present at the same genomic site. In contrast, four fowlpox vaccines of FPV origin and three originating from pigeonpox virus were genetically homogeneous in having retained only the 248-bp LTR fusion, whereas two other FPV-based vaccines had only the larger one. These remnants of integrated REV presumably arose during homologous recombinati

SUBMITTER: Singh P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC154015 | biostudies-literature | 2003 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature