Immediate-early transcription over covalently joined genome ends of bovine herpesvirus 1: the circ gene.
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.
Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
C
C
Fraefel
U V
UV
Wirth
B
B
Vogt
M
M
Schwyzer
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000235:genetics*; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D007242:Herpesvirus 1, Bovine / Q000235:genetics*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000235:genetics; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D004270:DNA, Circular; D012322:RNA Precursors