title: Virus characterization and sequence of the fusion protein gene cleavage site of recent Newcastle disease virus field isolates from the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico.
abstract: Nine Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates obtained from Puerto Rico, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas were analyzed for in vivo pathogenicity, biological properties (hemagglutination of mammalian erythrocytes), and for sequence variation at the amino acid and sense RNA level of the fusion protein cleavage site. Intracerebral pathogenicity index values ranged from 0 to 0.3 and the intravenous pathogenicity index obtained for all isolates was 0. Four isolates hemagglutinated bovine erythrocytes, whereas no hemagglutination was observed using equine erythrocytes. By direct sequencing of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction products, all the isolates had a predicted fusion cleavage sequence comparable to lentogenic NDV strains. Based on nucleotide sequence, the viruses could be grouped phylogenetically with the B1 vaccine-type virus. However, nucleotide sequences were not 100% similar to the B1 or La Sota NDV strains, indicating that minor genetic heterogeneity occurs among lentogenic field isolates of NDV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Avian Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602-4875, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villegas
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Seal
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006736:Horses; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009521:Newcastle Disease / Q000821:virology*; D009522:Newcastle disease virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011200:Poultry; D011647:Puerto Rico; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015144:Southeastern United States; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines