IDENTIFICATION OF TRANSCRIPTS AND PROMOTER REGIONS OF OVINE ADENOVIRUS OAV287

The ovine adenovirus isolate OAV287 represents a new group of adenovir uses that are distinct from the Mast-and Aviadenoviruses by several cr iteria, including genome arrangement. The OAV major late promoter and some late transcripts were previously mapped. To better define the pro bable coding sequences and to identify the approximate location of ear ly promoters a partial transcription map of the genome was elucidated using a PCR-based approach. This was possible because the complete nuc leotide sequence of the genome was known. The strategy permitted the i dentification of transcription start sites and RNA splice junctions an d allowed the approximate location of promoters in the lefthand end, I Va(2),, E2, P32K, and E4 regions to be deduced. The data showed that l efthand end and E4 regions are controlled by three and two temporally distinct promoters, respectively. The E2 region is controlled by a sin gle promoter, in contrast to Mastadenoviruses, where E2 expression is controlled by the E2A and E2B promoters. The p32kDa structural protein at the lefthand end and the IVa(2) protein are also expressed from th eir own promoters. These data contribute to the first overview of tran scription from a non-Mastadenovirus genome. (C) 1998 Academic Press.