title: The thymidylate synthase gene of Hz-1 virus: a gene captured from its lepidopteran host.
abstract: The sequence analysis of a thymidylate synthase gene was identified in the Hz-1 virus HindIII-D fragment. The viral thymidylate synthase gene encodes a protein of 295 amino acids, and is closely related to that of insect, mammals and herpesvirus. The thymidylate synthase gene identified was a genuine viral gene in that it was only detected in cells infected with Hz-1 virus but not in the mock infected cells, by Southern blot analysis and by RT-PCR. Results of phylogenetic analysis based on non-synonymous and amino acid distances suggested that the TS gene of Hz-1 virus was grouped closely with that of Bombyx mori. High bootstrap values confirmed that the thymidylate synthase of Hz-1 virus was acquired by a capture event from its lepidopteran host. Results of both sequence divergences and phylogenetic analysis suggested that TS genes in insect viruses, Hz-1, CIV, and MsEPV may have a different history or originated from different capture events.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. hhchen@mail.ncku.edu.tw
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tso
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics; D007304:Insect Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D007313:Insecta / Q000821:virology; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008322:Mammals / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010053:Ovary / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase