IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF AN ALCELAPHINE HERPESVIRUS-1 (AHV-1) CDNA CLONE EXPRESSING A FUSION PROTEIN RECOGNIZED BY AHV-1-NEUTRALIZINGANTISERA

Rabbit antiserum to psoralen-inactivated alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AH V-1) virions was shown to react specifically with AHV-1-infected cells by indirect immunofluorescence. Western blot analysis using this anti serum identified a 15-kD virion protein that was also detected in infe cted-cell proteins between 12 and 144 h p.i., and a 37-kD protein pres ent in infected cells between 24 and 120 h p.i. A cDNA library was con structed using mRNA obtained from AHV-1-infected fetal mouflon sheep k idney (FMSK) cells at 48 h p.i.,, when infected-cell proteins detected by antiserum were in abundance. Screening of the library with the rab bit anti-AHV-1 serum identified several positive clones. Southern blot analysis showed that one clone, designated 8'a, hybridized to a 4.4kb HindIII fragment of AHV-1 DNA. This AHV-1 cDNA clone expressed a fusi on protein that was recognized by serum from a naturally and asymptoma tically infected white-bearded wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus alboj ubatus). The insert was sequenced and found to contain 833 bp. A searc h of the GenBank database for related sequences revealed greater than 40% homology to several other gammaherpesviruses: herpesvirus saimiri, cottontail herpesvirus, and Epstein-Barr virus.