Conservation of DNA photolyase genes in group II nucleopolyhedroviruses infecting plusiine insects.
DNA photolyase genes (phr) encode photoreactive enzymes, which are involved in the repair of UV-damaged DNA. Cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) specific photolyase genes are present in nucleopolyhedroviruses isolated from Chrysodeixis chalcites (ChchNPV) and Trichoplusia ni (TnSNPV), insects belonging to the Plusiinae (Noctuidae). To better understand the occurrence and evolution of these genes in baculoviruses, we investigated their possible conservation in other group II NPVs, which infect plusiine insects. A PCR based strategy using degenerate phr-specific primers was designed to detect and analyze possible photolyase genes. Six additional Plusiinae-infecting NPVs were analyzed and all, except Thysanoplusia oricalcea NPV A28-1, which is a group I NPV, contained one or more phr-like sequences. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all photolyase genes of the tested Plusiinae-infecting baculoviruses group in a single clade, separated into three subgroups. The phylogeny of the polyhedrin sequences of these viruses confirmed that the analyzed viruses also formed a single clade in group II NPVs. We hypothesize that all plusiine group II NPVs contain one or more photolyase genes and that these have a common ancestor.
Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University, Binnenhaven 11, 6709 PD Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Fang
F
Xu
Just M
JM
Vlak
Monique M
MM
van Oers
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / Q000235:genetics*; D007313:Insecta / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017924:Nucleopolyhedroviruses / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D000077183:Occlusion Body Matrix Proteins; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D000077183:Occlusion Body Matrix Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; C009829:polyhedrin protein, Nucleopolyhedrovirus; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase