Choristoneura fumiferana granulovirus: sequence analysis and 5 ' characterization of ORF891

A gene located immediately upstream of the granulin gene of Choristoneura f umiferana (ChfuGV) granulovirus was identified, sequenced and named ORF891. The determined, putative open reading frame (ORF) of 891 bp encodes an est imated 34.6 kDa protein. The 5' end transcript of the gene was mapped and a nalysed. A putative promoter region organization of ChfuGV ORF891 contains a consensus late baculovirus promoter element, TAAG, and two putative early TATA boxes similar to the promoters of ORF909 of Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (ClGV). Sequence comparisons of ChfuGV ORF891 with ClGV ORF909 and Cydia pomonella granulovirus (CpGV) ORF124R showed respective homologi es of 60.9 and 63.9% for nucleotides and 46.3 and 49.3% for amino acids. Ho mology of ChfuGV ORF891 with ME53 ORF of Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) was 68.2% for nucleotides but a total lack o f homology for amino acid sequences. Two zinc finger motifs are also associ ated with ChfuGV ORF891.