SEQUENCES OF THE RIBONUCLEOTIDE REDUCTASE-ENCODING GENES OF FELID HERPESVIRUS-1 AND MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS

The felid herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) genes encoding the two ribonucleotide reductase (RR) subunits (RR1, large subunit and RR2, small subunit) we re cloned and their nucleotide (nt) sequence determined.(1) The RR1 op en reading frame (ORF) is 2358 nts long and is predicted to encode a p rotein of 786 amino acids (aa). In common with herpesviruses in the Va ricellovirus genus of the alphaherpesvirus subfamily, FHV-1 RR1 lacks the N-terminal serine threonine protein kinase region present in herpe s simplex virus (HSV)-1 and -2. FHV-1 RR1 has a predicted aa identity of 47-64% with other alphaherpesvirus RR1 peptides, falling to 26-29% for gammaherpesviruses. The RR2 ORF is 996 nts long, predicted to enco de a protein of 332 aa and has aa identities of 64-70% with alphaherpe sviruses and 38-39% with gammaherpesviruses. Molecular phylogenetic an alysis groups FHV-1 with equid herpesviruses 1 and 4 (EHV 1 and 4), ps eudorabies virus (PRV) and bovid herpesvirus 1 (BHV 1) within the genu s Varicellovirus.