title: A polymorphism in the major immediate-early gene delineates groups among cytomegalovirus clinical isolates.
abstract: Major immediate-early gene exon 4 sequences were determined at codons 161-241 and 254-397 in 25 cytomegalovirus clinical strains and compared with those of reference strains AD169 and Towne. The nucleotide sequences at codon 161-241 segregated into three groups which could be determined by restriction mapping of a 247-nucleotide amplified target. AD169 and Towne belonged to the same group. Clustered variations and group-specific amino-acid motifs found in the deduced peptide sequence of the two immediate-early (IE) exon 4 regions raised a question is to the effects of polymorphism on IE1 function and/or immunogenicity. On the basis of restriction analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, virus isolates were also classified into four glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes. Strain distribution in IE1 and gB genotypes showed a lack of concordance of the two grouping methods, and no preferential association was observed between the clinical context or kind of specimen and IE1 or gB groups. These data lead up to further prospective studies which could provide important information on the implication of the MIE gene region in virus pathogenesis and indicate whether linkage unbalance exists in particular clinical contexts between IE1 and gB loci.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Institut de Biologie, (INSERM) U463, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Retière
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Imbert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Courcoux
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hallet
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014764:Viral Proteins
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; C088645:IE1 protein, cytomegalovirus; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C040495:glycoprotein B, Simplexvirus