title: Alcelaphine Herpesvirus-1 (Malignant Catarrhal Fever Virus) in Wildebeest Placenta: Genetic Variation of ORF50 and A9.5 Alleles.
abstract: Alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 (AlHV-1), a causative agent of malignant catarrhal fever in cattle, was detected in wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) placenta tissue for the first time. Although viral load was low, the finding of viral DNA in over 50% of 94 samples tested lends support to the possibility that placental tissue could play a role in disease transmission and that wildebeest calves are infected in utero. Two viral loci were sequenced to examine variation among virus samples obtained from wildebeest and cattle: the ORF50 gene, encoding the lytic cycle transactivator protein, and the A9.5 gene, encoding a novel polymorphic viral glycoprotein. ORF50 was well conserved with six newly discovered alleles differing at only one or two base positions. In contrast, while only three new A9.5 alleles were discovered, these differed by up to 13% at the nucleotide level and up to 20% at the amino acid level. Structural homology searching performed with the additional A9.5 sequences determined in this study adds power to recent analysis identifying the four-helix bundle cytokine interleukin-4 (IL4) as the major homologue. The majority of MCF virus samples obtained from Tanzanian cattle and wildebeest encoded A9.5 polypeptides identical to the previously characterized A9.5 allele present in the laboratory maintained AlHV-1 C500 strain. This supports the view that AlHV-1 C500 is suitable for the development of a vaccine for wildebeest-associated MCF.
authors.affiliation: Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom; Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, United States of America; School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lankester
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lugelo
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mnyambwa
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania; Department of Science and Laboratory Technology, Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Ahab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ndabigaye
authors.affiliation: Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute, Arusha, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keyyu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Rudovick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kazwala
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Dawn M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Relf
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Haig
authors.affiliation: Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom; School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cleaveland
authors.affiliation: Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Penicuik, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000866:Antelopes / Q000821:virology*; D002417:Cattle; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005260:Female; D007242:Herpesvirus 1, Bovine / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008304:Malignant Catarrh / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D010920:Placenta / Q000821:virology; D011247:Pregnancy; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4