CHARACTERIZATION OF A MAREKS-DISEASE VIRUS BAMHI-L-SPECIFIC CDNA CLONE OBTAINED FROM A MAREKS-DISEASE LYMPHOBLASTOID CELL-LINE

Two Marek's disease (MD) virus BamHI-L-specific cDNA clones were isola ted from a cDNA library constructed from poly(A)(+) RNA fractions of a n MD lymphoblastoid cell line, MDCC-CU41 (CU41). These clones were map ped to the region corresponding to the BamHI-Q(2), and -L, regions. Th ese clones hybridized with 2.5-, 0.8-, and 0.6-kb transcripts prepared from CU41. The transcriptional unit of the 0.6-kb transcript was dete rmined by RNase protection assays. An open reading frame encoding a 10 7-amino-acid polypeptide was identified in the 0.6-kb transcript. Reve rse transcriptase-PCR demonstrated the presence of this transcript in both CU41 and a reticuloendotheliosis virus-transformed cell line late ntly infected with MD virus.