STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL-ORGANIZATION OF THE FOWL ADENOVIRUS EDS-76 GENOME - SEQUENCING AND ANALYSIS OF THE 0-10.6-PERCENT SEGMENT

A plasmid expression library was obtained for fowl adenovirus EDS-76. Screening with guinea pig polyclonal antibodies against purified and d isrupted virus revealed clones expressing EDS-76 antigens. Computer-ai ded sequence analysis (BLAST) of six antigen-positive clones demonstra ted high local homology of encoded amino acid sequences with those of the structural proteins 28K, pVII, pVI, fiber, and proteins 52/55K and 100K of ovine adenovirus OAV287. The cloned fragments were mapped by Southern hybridization. The left terminal segment 0-10.6% of the EDS-7 6 genome contains genes of the small and large T antigens, the 31.8K a nalog of the OAV287 new structural protein 28K, and the C-terminal par t of protein IVa2. The organization of the E1 region is similar in EDS -76 and OAV287 but differs from that of known human and animal adenovi ruses as well as the putative E1 of fowl adenovirus 1 (CELO).