title: Analysis of the monkeypox virus genome.
abstract: Monkeypox virus (MPV) belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus of the family Poxviridae, is endemic in parts of Africa, and causes a human disease that resembles smallpox. The 196,858-bp MPV genome was analyzed with regard to structural features and open reading frames. Each end of the genome contains an identical but oppositely oriented 6379-bp terminal inverted repetition, which similar to that of other orthopoxviruses, includes a putative telomere resolution sequence and short tandem repeats. Computer-assisted analysis was used to identify 190 open reading frames containing >/=60 amino acid residues. Of these, four were present within the inverted terminal repetition. MPV contained the known essential orthopoxvirus genes but only a subset of the putative immunomodulatory and host range genes. Sequence comparisons confirmed the assignment of MPV as a distinct species of orthopoxvirus that is not a direct ancestor or a direct descendent of variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox.
authors.affiliation: State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, Koltsovo, Novosibirsk Region, Russia.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Shchelkunov
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Totmenin
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Safronov
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Mikheev
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Gutorov
authors.forename: O I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Ryazankina
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Babkin
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Uvarova
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Sandakhchiev
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sisler
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Damon
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Jahrling
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008993:Monkeypox virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins