title: Comparative analysis of error-prone replication mononucleotide repeats across baculovirus genomes.
abstract: Genome replication by the baculovirus DNA polymerase often generates errors in mononucleotide repeat (MNR) sequences due to replication slippage. This results in the inactivation of genes that affects different stages of the cell infection cycle. Here we mapped these MNRs in the 59 baculovirus genomes. We found that the MNR frequencies of baculovirus genomes are different and not correlated with the genome sizes. Although the average A/T content of baculoviruses is 58.67%, the A/T MNR frequency is significantly higher than that of the G/C MNRs. Furthermore, the A7/T7 MNRs are the most frequent of those we studied. Finally, MNR frequencies in different classes of baculovirus genes, such as immediate early genes, show differences between baculovirus genomes, suggesting that the distribution and frequency of different MNRs are unique to each baculovirus species or strain. Therefore, the results of this study can help select appropriate baculoviruses for the development of biological insecticides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Ream
authors.forename: Samuel T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Emily E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Guo-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Iddo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Friedberg
authors.forename: Xiao-Wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016679:Genome, Viral; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
keywords: Replication slippage; Viral genome evolution; Viral genome replication; fp25k acquisition