title: Molecular characteristics of Polish field strains of Marek's disease herpesvirus isolated from vaccinated chickens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Twenty-nine Marek's disease virus (MDV) strains were isolated during a 3 year period (2007-2010) from vaccinated and infected chicken flocks in Poland. These strains had caused severe clinical symptoms and lesions. In spite of proper vaccination with mono- or bivalent vaccines against Marek's disease (MD), the chickens developed symptoms of MD with paralysis.Because of this we decided to investigate possible changes and mutations in the field strains that could potentially increase their virulence. We supposed that such mutations may have been caused by recombination with retroviruses of poultry - especially reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV).
  
  
  METHODS
  In order to detect the possible reasons of recent changes in virulence of MDV strains, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses for meq oncogene and for long-terminal repeat (LTR) region of REV were conducted. The obtained PCR products were sequenced and compared with other MDV and REV strains isolated worldwide and accessible in the GeneBank database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sequencing of the meq oncogene showed a 68 basepair insertion and frame shift within 12 of 24 field strains. Interestingly, the analyses also showed 0.78, 0.8, 0.82, 1.6 kb and other random LTR-REV insertions into the MDV genome in 28 of 29 of strains. These genetic inserts were present after passage in chicken embryo kidney cells suggesting LTR integration into a non-functional region of the MDV genome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate the presence of a recombination between MDV and REV under field conditions in Polish chicken farms. The genetic changes within the MDV genome may influence the virus replication and its features in vivo. However, there is no evidence that meq alteration and REV insertions are related to the strains' virulence.
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Research Institute, Department of Poultry Viral Diseases, Partyzantow 57 Avenue, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland. grzegorz.wozniakowski@piwet.pulawy.pl
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Woźniakowski
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samorek-Salamonowicz
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kozdruń
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002645:Chickens; D004279:DNA, Viral; D025922:Mardivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D008380:Marek Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D022501:Marek Disease Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; C100369:Eco-Q protein, Gallid herpesvirus 2; D022501:Marek Disease Vaccines; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral