The equid herpesvirus-1 gene 63 is expressed as a leaky late (gamma 1) transcript and is nonessential for replication in vitro.
The regulation of Equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) gene 63 was investigated using molecular expression studies and its role in viral growth was identified by constructing a gene 63 mutant virus. Metabolic inhibitors were used to show that EHV-1 gene 63 is expressed as a leaky-late (gamma 1) transcript. Transient transfections and subsequent chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter assays showed that gene 63 was transactivated by EHV-1 gene 64 (immediate early) protein. An EHV-1 gene 63 mutant virus, where the LacZ gene was inserted into the mutated gene 63 open reading frame, showed that gene 63 protein was not essential for efficient EHV-1 growth in tissue culture. These findings indicate that the animal alpha herpesviruses may have evolved different pathways leading to replication.
Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK.
A S
AS
Purewal
J
J
Iqbal
N
N
Edington
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D005814:Genes, Viral; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics*