Genetic and ultrastructural characterization of a European isolate of the fatal endotheliotropic elephant herpesvirus.
A male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) died at the Berlin zoological gardens in August 1998 of systemic infection with the novel endotheliotropic elephant herpesvirus (ElHV-1). This virus causes a fatal haemorrhagic disease in Asian elephants, the so-called endothelial inclusion body disease, as reported from North American zoological gardens. In the present work, ElHV-1 was visualized ultrastructurally in affected organ material. Furthermore, a gene block comprising the complete glycoprotein B (gB) and DNA polymerase (DPOL) genes as well as two partial genes was amplified by PCR-based genome walking and sequenced. The gene content and arrangement were similar to those of members of the Betaherpesvirinae. However, phylogenetic analysis with gB and DPOL consistently revealed a very distant relationship to the betaherpesviruses. Therefore, ElHV-1 may be a member of a new genus or even a new herpesvirus subfamily. The sequence information generated was used to set up a nested-PCR assay for diagnosis of suspected cases of endothelial inclusion body disease. Furthermore, it will aid in the development of antibody-based detection methods and of vaccination strategies against this fatal herpesvirus infection in the endangered Asian elephant.
Ehlers
B
B
Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany1.
Burkhardt
S
S
Institut für Lebensmittel, Arzneimittel und Tierseuchen, Invalidenstr. 60, 10557 Berlin, Germany2.
Goltz
M
M
Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany1.
Bergmann
V
V
Institut für Veterinär-Pathologie der Freien Universität Berlin, Straße 518, Nr. 15, 14163 Berlin, Germany3.
Ochs
A
A
Zoologischer Garten Berlin AG, Hardenbergplatz 8, 10787 Berlin, Germany4.
Weiler
H
H
Institut für Veterinär-Pathologie der Freien Universität Berlin, Straße 518, Nr. 15, 14163 Berlin, Germany3.
Hentschke
J
J
Institut für Lebensmittel, Arzneimittel und Tierseuchen, Invalidenstr. 60, 10557 Berlin, Germany2.
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D004606:Elephants / Q000821:virology*; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D005060:Europe; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007181:Inclusion Bodies, Viral / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase