title: Sequence data suggests big liver and spleen disease virus (BLSV) is genetically related to hepatitis E virus.
abstract: A monoclonal antibody (mAb) that reacted specifically with a 16 kDa big liver and spleen disease virus (BLSV) protein was used to identify the protein in western immunoblots of infected liver extracts and enable partial amino acid sequence analysis of the protein. Based on this sequence, a degenerate primer was designed that was used in conjunction with random hexamers in a reverse transcriptase-POR (RT PCR), to amplify a 523 bp product from RNA extracted from homogenates of BLSV-infected livers. There was 62% nucleotide sequence identity between this sequence and the sequence of the helicase gene of human hepatitis E virus (HEV). POR primers designed from this 523 bp fragment were able to amplify a 490 bp product from livers of virus-infected chickens but not chickens from virus-free flocks.
authors.affiliation: Animal Health Laboratories, Agriculture WA, South Perth WA, Australia. cpayne@numbat.murdoch.edu.au
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Plant
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral