THE DNA-POLYMERASE GENE OF A BROWN ALGAL VIRUS - STRUCTURE AND PHYLOGENY

We have reported the complete sequence of the DNA polymerase gene from the virus that infected a filamentous brown alga, Feldmannia sp. (FsV ). The DNA polymerase gene from FsV encoded 986 amino acids and contai ned all the consented motifs of 3'-5' exonuclease domains and catalyti c domains found in B-family (alpha-like) DNA polymerases. The codons f or the FsV DNA polymerase appeared to have some bias toward guanine/cy tosine (G/C) in the third position. The phylogenetic analysis of the F sV DNA polymerase gene and other viral DNA polymerase genes indicated that FsV belongs to a family of algal viruses recently defined as Phyc odnaviridae.