Identification and Characterization of a Shrimp White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) Gene That Encodes a Novel Chimeric Polypeptide of Cellular-Type Thymidine Kinase and Thymidylate Kinase
Resource
Virology 277 (1): 100-110
Journal
Virology
Journal Volume
277
Journal Issue
1
Pages
100-110
Date Issued
2000
Date
2000
Author(s)
Tsai, Meng-Feng
Tzeng, Huey-Fen
Leu, Jiann-Horng
Chou, Chih-Ming
Huang, Chang-Jen
Wang, Chung-Hsiung
Lin, Jung-Yaw
Kou, Guang-Hsiung
Lo, Chu-Fang
Abstract
From previously constructed genomic libraries of a Taiwan WSSV isolate, a putative WSSV tk-tmk gene was identified. Uniquely, the open reading frame (ORF) of this gene was predicted to encode a novel chimeric protein of 388 amino acids with significant homology to two proteins: thymidine kinase (TK) and thymidylate kinase (TMK). Northern blot analysis with a WSSV tk-tmk-specific riboprobe detected a major transcript of 1.6 kb. When healthy adult Penaeus monodon shrimp were inoculated with WSSV, the tk-tmk gene transcript was first detected by RT-PCR analysis at 4 h postinfection and transcription levels continued to increase over the first 18 h. The gene's major in vitro transcription and translation product, equivalent to the predicted size (43 kDa), is a single chimeric protein that includes both the TK and TMK functional motifs. Evidence for phylogenetic analysis and sequence alignment suggested that the gene may have resulted from the fusion of a cellular-type TK gene and a cellular-type TMK gene. Its unique arrangement may also provide a valuable gene marker for WSSV. (C) 2000 Academic Press.
Subjects
Penaeus monodon; Taiwan WSSV isolate; Thymidine kinase; Thymidylate kinase; White spot syndrome virus; WSSV tk-tmk gene
Other Subjects
chimeric protein; polypeptide; thymidine kinase; article; DNA virus; genetic transcription; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; open reading frame; phylogeny; priority journal; sequence analysis; sequence homology; shrimp; virus characterization; virus gene; White spot syndrome virus; Animalia; Decapoda (Crustacea); DNA viruses; Monodon; Penaeus monodon; Penaeus monodon; Shrimp white spot syndrome virus
Type
journal article
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