Sequence analysis of the Xestia c-nigrum granulovirus genome

The nucleotide sequence of the Xestia c-nigrum granulovirus (XcGV) genome w as determined and found to comprise 178,733 bases with a G-C-C content of 4 0.7%. It contained 181 putative genes of 150 nucleotides or greater that sh owed minimal overlap. Eighty-four of these putative genes, which collective ly accounted for 43% of the genome, are homologs of genes previously identi fied in the Autographa californica multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus ( AcMNPV) genome. These homologs showed on average 33% amino acid sequence id entity to those from AcMNPV. Several genes reported to have major roles in AcMNPV biology including ie-2, gp64, and egt were not found in the XcGV gen ome. However, open reading frames with homology to DNA ligase, two DNA heli cases tone similar to a yeast mitochondrial helicase and the other to a put ative (AcMNPV helicase), and four enhancins (virus enhancing factors) were found. In addition, several ORFs are repeated; there are 7 genes related to AcMNPV orf2, 4 genes related to AcMNPV orf145/150, and a number of repeate d genes unique to XcGV. Eight major repeated sequences (XcGV hrs) that are similar to sequences found in the Trichoplusia ni GV genome (TnGV) were fou nd, (C) 1999 Academic Press.