COMPARATIVE SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS AND EXPRESSION OF THE M6 GENE, ENCODINGTHE OUTER CAPSID PROTEIN VP5, OF AFRICAN HORSESICKNESS VIRUS SEROTYPE-9

The entire nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the M6 gene o f African horsesickness virus (AHSV) serotype nine has been determined from four overlapping cDNA clones. The gene was found to be 1566 bp l ong, encoding a protein of 505 amino acids with a molecular weight of 56 737 Da and a nett charge of -1 at neutral pH. Comparative sequence analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence with the VP5 protein of AH SV-4, showed that only 81% of amino acids were conserved in type and p osition, although alternating regions of lower and higher conservation was identified by alignment of the primary sequences of different orb iviral VP5 proteins. Antigenically authentic AHSV-9 VP5 was also expre ssed in a baculovirus expression system and the expressed protein was shown to react specifically with anti-AHSV-9 as well as AHSV-3 serum i n Western blot analysis. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.