SEQUENCE AND STRUCTURAL-ANALYSIS OF MURINE ADENOVIRUS TYPE-1 HEXON

The genomic region encoding the major capsid protein (hexon) of murine adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) has been isolated and sequenced. The sequen ce predicts a 908 residue MAV-1 hexon protein and is flanked by a port ion of the upstream pVI gene and the downstream endoproteinase gene. T he order of these genes and their location in the middle of the genome are the same as those found in other adenoviruses sequenced to date. Multiple sequence alignment with the other five known hexon protein se quences reveals an overall residue identity of 51% and residue conserv ation of 66%. In comparison with human adenovirus type 2 (Ad2), MAV-1 hexon has major deletions between residues 141 to 170, 270 to 284 and 446 to 455. Since these regions in the Ad2 hexon are partially exposed on the outer surface of the virion, they may represent type-specific antigenic determinants. The MAV-1 hexon sequence has been modelled usi ng the known three-dimensional structure of the Ad2 hexon. The variabl e regions in which the mutations, deletions and insertions occur are l ocated in the 1(1) and 1(2) loops of the molecule that form the protru ding hexon towers on the external surface of the virion.