Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Journal of Virology, July 2009, p. 6969-6973, Vol. 83, No. 13
0022-538X/09/$08.00+0 doi:10.1128/JVI.00322-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Division of Microbiology, Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Berkshire RG20 7NN, United Kingdom
Received 13 February 2009/ Accepted 22 April 2009
Herpesviruses account for 134 out of the 140 virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) known today. Here we report the identification of 11 novel miRNAs encoded by herpesvirus of turkey (HVT), a virus used as a live vaccine in poultry against the highly oncogenic Marek's disease virus type 1. Ten of these miRNAs were clustered together within the repeat long region of the viral genome, demonstrating some degree of positional conservation with other mardiviruses. Close sequence and phylogenetic relationships of some miRNAs in this cluster indicate evolution by duplication. HVT miRNAs represent the first example of virus-encoded miRNAs that show evolution by duplication.
Published ahead of print on 29 April 2009.
Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology. For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»