title: Sequence and cognitive analyses of two virulence-associated markers of bluetongue virus serotype 17.
abstract: Genome segments 2 and 3 were completely sequenced for one virulent and one avirulent bluetongue serotype 17 (BLU-17). These two segments were previously shown to exhibit virulence-associated markers. The marker on segment 2 was characterized as a change in the neutralization domain on its protein product, VP2. The nucleotide sequences for segments 2 were 94.5% identical, and their predicted proteins differed by 34 amino acids or 3.7%. Three clusters of variability were identified which may be involved with viral neutralization. These variable regions were compared to mutations for published monoclonal antibody-resistant variants of BLU. The marker on segment 3 was characterized as a mobility shift in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The nucleotide sequences were 95.0% identical, and their predicted proteins differed by four amino acids or 0.4%. These amino acid changes were relatively conserved; therefore, they are not likely responsible for virulence. The segment 3 sequences were compared to published sequences, and evidence was found to suggest that the virulent isolate had naturally reassorted between a BLU-17 and BLU-10 isolate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. bernardk@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics*; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012703:Serotyping; D012756:Sheep; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; C442520:VP2 protein, Bluetongue virus; C074954:VP3 protein, Bluetongue virus; D014758:Viral Core Proteins