A 19-nucleotide insertion in the leader sequence of avian leukosis virus subgroup J contributes to its replication in vitro but is not related to its pathogenicity in vivo.
Subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) was first isolated from meat-type chickens that had developed myeloid leukosis and since 2008, ALV-J infections in chickens have become widespread in China. A comparison of the sequence of ALV-J epidemic isolates with HPRS-103, the ALV-J prototype virus, revealed several distinct features, one of which is a 19-nucleotide (nt) insertion in the leader sequence. To determine the role of the 19-nt insertion in ALV-J pathogenicity, a pair of viruses were constructed and rescued. The first virus was an ALV-J Chinese isolate (designated rSD1009) containing the 19-nt insertion in its leader sequence. The second virus was a clone, in which the leader sequence had a deleted 19-nt sequence (designated rSD1009△19). Compared with rSD1009△19, rSD1009 displayed a moderate growth advantage in vitro. However, no differences were demonstrated in either viral replication or oncogenicity between the two rescued viruses in chickens. These results indicated that the 19-nt insertion contributed to ALV-J replication in vitro but was not related to its pathogenicity in vivo.
Division of Avian Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
Xiaolin
X
Ji
Division of Avian Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
Qi
Q
Wang
Division of Avian Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
Xiaofei
X
Li
Division of Avian Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
Xiaole
X
Qi
Division of Avian Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
Yongqiang
Y
Wang
Division of Avian Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
Honglei
H
Gao
Division of Avian Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
Yulong
Y
Gao
Division of Avian Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
Xiaomei
X
Wang
D000818:Animals; D001353:Avian Leukosis / Q000821:virology; D001354:Avian Leukosis Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002460:Cell Line; D002645:Chickens; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000821:virology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D014764:Viral Proteins