[Polymorphism analysis of human cytomegalovirus UL148 gene in low passage clinical isolates].
BACKGROUND
To investigate the polymorphism of human cytomegalovirus UL148 gene in low passage clinical isolates and to study the relationship between the polymorphism and different pathogenesis of congenital HCMV infection.


METHODS
PCR was performed to amplify the entire HCMV UL148 gene region of 38 clinical isolates, which had been proven containing detectable HCMV-DNA by using FQ-PCR.PCR amplification products were sequenced directly and the sequence data were analysed.


RESULTS
Seventeen of 38 isolates were amplified successfully. By comparison with Toledo sequence, the length of UL148 ORFs in all 17 clinical isolates was similar to that of Toledo. Amino acid variability rate of UL148 protein was 0.3%-2.3%. There were additional or deleted sites of posttranslational modification of UL148 protein in all clinical isolates.


CONCLUSIONS
All DNA and deduced amino acid sequences of UL148 gene shared great similarity among HCMV clinical strains regardless of their polymorphism.
Ji
Yao-hua
YH
Virology Laboratory, The No.2 Clinical Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China. cmuvirus@sina.com
Ruan
Qiang
Q
Lu
Ying
Y
Qi
Ying
Y
He
Rong
R
Liu
Qing
Q
Chen
Shu-rong
SR
Ma
Yan-ping
YP
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000151:congenital / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
D014764:Viral Proteins